CECILIA

OR

Memoirs of an Heiress

by

FRANCES BURNEY

PREFACE

"Fanny's Cecilia came out last summer, and is as much liked and read, I believe, as any book ever was, " wrote Charlotte Burney in Jan. 1783. "She had 250 pounds for it from Payne and Cadell. Most peoplesay she ought to have had a thousand. It is now going into the thirdedition, though Payne owns that they printed two thousand at thefirst edition, and Lowndes told me five hundred was the common numberfor a novel. " [Footnote: _The Early Diary of Frances Burney, with aselection from her correspondence, and from the journals of hersisters Susan and Charlotte Burney. _ Edited by Annie Raine Ellis. 1889. Vol. II. P. 307. ]

The manuscript of _Cecilia_ was submitted to Dr Burney and MrCrisp during its composition, and their suggestions were in somecases adopted, as we learn from the _Diary_. Dr Johnson was notconsulted, but a desire at once to imitate and to please himevidently controlled the work. 

Under these circumstances it is naturally less fresh and spontaneousthan _Evelina_, but it is more mature. The touch is surer andthe plot more elaborate. We cannot to-day fully appreciate the"conflict scene between mother and son, " for which, Miss Burneytells us, the book was written; but the pictures of eighteenthcentury affectations are all alive, and the story is thoroughlyabsorbing, except, perhaps, in the last book. 

Miss Burney often took the name of her characters from heracquaintances, and it seems probable that some of the "types" in_Cecilia_ are also drawn from real life. The title of MissAusten's _Pride and Prejudice_ was borrowed from _Cecilia_, and some points of resemblance may be traced betweenthe two novels. 

The present edition is reprinted from:--

CECILIA, or, Memoirs of an Heiress. By the author of Evelina. Infive volumes. London: Printed for T. Payne and Son, at the Newsgate, and T. Cadell in the Strand. MDCCLXXXII. R. B. J. 

THE RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE TO MISS F. BURNEY. (AFTER READINGCECILIA. )

Madam, --I should feel exceedingly to blame if I could refuse tomyself the natural satisfaction, and to you the just but poorreturn, of my best thanks for the very great instruction andentertainment I have received from the new present you have bestowedon the public. There are few--I believe I may say fairly there arenone at all--that will not find themselves better informedconcerning human nature, and their stock of observation enriched, byreading your "Cecilia. " They certainly will, let their experience inlife and manners be what it may. The arrogance of age must submit tobe taught by youth. You have crowded into a few small volumes anincredible variety of characters; most of them well planned, wellsupported, and well contrasted with each other. If there be anyfault in this respect, it is one in which you are in no great dangerof being imitated. Justly as your characters are drawn, perhaps theyare too numerous. But I beg pardon; I fear it is quite in vain topreach economy to those who are come young to excessive and suddenopulence. 

I might trespass on your delicacy if I should fill my letter to youwith what I fill my conversation to others. I should be troublesometo you alone if I should tell you all I feel and think on thenatural vein of humour, the tender pathetic, the comprehensive andnoble moral, and the sagacious observation, that appear quitethroughout that extraordinary performance. 

In an age distinguished by producing extraordinary women, I hardlydare to tell you where my opinion would place you amongst them. Irespect your modesty, that will not endure the commendations whichyour merit forces from everybody. 

I have the honour to be, with great gratitude, respect, and esteem, madam, your most obedient and most humble servant, EDM. BURKE

WHITEHALL, _July 19, 1782_. 

My best compliments and congratulations to Dr Burney on the greathonour acquired to his family. 

ADVERTISEMENT. 

The indulgence shewn by the Public to Evelina, which, unpatronized, unaided, and unowned, past through Four Editions in one Year, hasencouraged its Author to risk this SECOND attempt. The animation ofsuccess is too universally acknowledged, to make the writer of thefollowing sheets dread much censure of temerity; though theprecariousness of any power to give pleasure, suppresses all vanityof confidence, and sends CECILIA into the world with scarce morehope, though far more encouragement, than attended her highly-honoured predecessor, Evelina. 

July, 1782

CHAPTER i

A JOURNEY. 

"Peace to the spirits of my honoured parents, respected be theirremains, and immortalized their virtues! may time, while it moulderstheir frail relicks to dust, commit to tradition the record of theirgoodness; and Oh, may their orphan-descendant be influenced throughlife by the remembrance of their purity, and be solaced in death, that by her it was unsullied!"

Such was the secret prayer with which the only survivor of theBeverley family quitted the abode of her youth, and residence of herforefathers; while tears of recollecting sorrow filled her eyes, andobstructed the last view of her native town which had excited them. 

Cecilia, this fair traveller, had lately entered into the one-and-twentieth year of her age. Her ancestors had been rich farmers inthe county of Suffolk, though her father, in whom a spirit ofelegance had supplanted the rapacity of wealth, had spent his timeas a private country gentleman, satisfied, without increasing hisstore, to live upon what he inherited from the labours of hispredecessors. She had lost him in her early youth, and her mother hadnot long survived him. They had bequeathed to her 10, 000 pounds, andconsigned her to the care of the Dean of ------, her uncle. With thisgentleman, in whom, by various contingencies, the accumulatedpossessions of a rising and prosperous family were centred, she hadpassed the last four years of her life; and a few weeks only had yetelapsed since his death, which, by depriving her of her lastrelation, made her heiress to an estate of 3000 pounds per annum;with no other restriction than that of annexing her name, if shemarried, to the disposal of her hand and her riches. 

But though thus largely indebted to fortune, to nature she had yetgreater obligations: her form was elegant, her heart was liberal;her countenance announced the intelligence of her mind, hercomplexion varied with every emotion of her soul, and her eyes, theheralds of her speech, now beamed with understanding and nowglistened with sensibility. 

For the short period of her minority, the management of her fortuneand the care of her person, had by the Dean been entrusted to threeguardians, among whom her own choice was to settle her residence:but her mind, saddened by the loss of all her natural friends, coveted to regain its serenity in the quietness of the country, andin the bosom of an aged and maternal counsellor, whom she loved asher mother, and to whom she had been known from her childhood. 

The Deanery, indeed, she was obliged to relinquish, a long repiningexpectant being eager, by entering it, to bequeath to another theanxiety and suspense he had suffered himself; though probablywithout much impatience to shorten their duration in favour of thenext successor; but the house of Mrs Charlton, her benevolentfriend, was open for her reception, and the alleviating tendernessof her conversation took from her all wish of changing it. 

Here she had dwelt since the interment of her uncle; and here, fromthe affectionate gratitude of her disposition, she had perhaps beencontent to dwell till her own, had not her guardians interfered toremove her. 

Reluctantly she complied; she quitted her early companions, thefriend she most revered, and the spot which contained the relicks ofall she had yet lived to lament; and, accompanied by one of herguardians, and attended by two servants, she began her journey fromBury to London. 

Mr Harrel, this gentleman, though in the prime of his life, thoughgay, fashionable and splendid, had been appointed by her uncle to beone of her trustees; a choice which had for object the peculiargratification of his niece, whose most favourite young friend MrHarrel had married, and in whose house he therefore knew she wouldmost wish to live. 

Whatever good-nature could dictate or politeness suggest to dispelher melancholy, Mr Harrel failed not to urge; and Cecilia, in whosedisposition sweetness was tempered with dignity, and gentleness withfortitude, suffered not his kind offices to seem ineffectual; shekissed her hand at the last glimpse a friendly hill afforded of hernative town, and made an effort to forget the regret with which shelost sight of it. She revived her spirits by plans of futurehappiness, dwelt upon the delight with which she should meet heryoung friend, and, by accepting his consolation, amply rewarded histrouble. 

Her serenity, however, had yet another, though milder trial toundergo, since another friend was yet to be met, and anotherfarewell was yet to be taken. 

At the distance of seven miles from Bury resided Mr Monckton, therichest and most powerful man in that neighbourhood, at whose houseCecilia and her guardian were invited to breakfast in their journey. 

Mr Monckton, who was the younger son of a noble family, was a man ofparts, information and sagacity; to great native strength of mind headded a penetrating knowledge of the world, and to faculties themost skilful of investigating the character of every other, adissimulation the most profound in concealing his own. In the bloomof his youth, impatient for wealth and ambitious of power, he hadtied himself to a rich dowager of quality, whose age, though sixty-seven, was but among the smaller species of her evil properties, herdisposition being far more repulsive than her wrinkles. Aninequality of years so considerable, had led him to expect that thefortune he had thus acquired, would speedily be released from theburthen with which it was at present incumbered; but hisexpectations proved as vain as they were mercenary, and his lady wasnot more the dupe of his protestations than he was himself of hisown purposes. Ten years he had been married to her, yet her healthwas good, and her faculties were unimpaired; eagerly he had watchedfor her dissolution, yet his eagerness had injured no health but hisown! So short-sighted is selfish cunning, that in aiming no furtherthan at the gratification of the present moment, it obscures theevils of the future, while it impedes the perception of integrityand honour. 

His ardour, however, to attain the blessed period of returningliberty, deprived him neither of spirit nor inclination forintermediate enjoyment; he knew the world too well to incur itscensure by ill-treating the woman to whom he was indebted for therank he held in it; he saw her, indeed, but seldom, yet he had thedecency, alike in avoiding as in meeting her, to shew no abatementof civility and good breeding: but, having thus sacrificed toambition all possibility of happiness in domestic life, he turnedhis thoughts to those other methods of procuring it, which he had sodearly purchased the power of essaying. 

The resources of pleasure to the possessors of wealth are only to becut off by the satiety of which they are productive: a satiety whichthe vigorous mind of Mr Monckton had not yet suffered him toexperience; his time, therefore, was either devoted to the expensiveamusements of the metropolis, or spent in the country among thegayest of its diversions. 

The little knowledge of fashionable manners and of the characters ofthe times of which Cecilia was yet mistress, she had gathered at thehouse of this gentleman, with whom the Dean her uncle had beenintimately connected: for as he preserved to the world the sameappearance of decency he supported to his wife, he was everywherewell received, and being but partially known, was extremelyrespected: the world, with its wonted facility, repaying hiscircumspect attention to its laws, by silencing the voice ofcensure, guarding his character from impeachment, and his name fromreproach. 

Cecilia had been known to him half her life; she had been caressedin his house as a beautiful child, and her presence was nowsolicited there as an amiable acquaintance. Her visits, indeed, hadby no means been frequent, as the ill-humour of Lady MargaretMonckton had rendered them painful to her; yet the opportunitiesthey had afforded her of mixing with people of fashion, had servedto prepare her for the new scenes in which she was soon to be aperformer. 

Mr Monckton, in return, had always been a welcome guest at theDeanery; his conversation was to Cecilia a never-failing source ofinformation, as his knowledge of life and manners enabled him tostart those subjects of which she was most ignorant; and her mind, copious for the admission and intelligent for the arrangement ofknowledge, received all new ideas with avidity. 

Pleasure given in society, like money lent in usury, returns withinterest to those who dispense it: and the discourse of Mr Moncktonconferred not a greater favour upon Cecilia than her attention to itrepaid. And thus, the speaker and the hearer being mutuallygratified, they had always met with complacency, and commonly partedwith regret. 

This reciprocation of pleasure had, however, produced differenteffects upon their minds; the ideas of Cecilia were enlarged, whilethe reflections of Mr Monckton were embittered. He here saw anobject who to all the advantages of that wealth he had so highlyprized, added youth, beauty, and intelligence; though much hersenior, he was by no means of an age to render his addressing her animpropriety, and the entertainment she received from hisconversation, persuaded him that her good opinion might with ease beimproved into a regard the most partial. He regretted the venalrapacity with which he had sacrificed himself to a woman heabhorred, and his wishes for her final decay became daily morefervent. He knew that the acquaintance of Cecilia was confined to acircle of which he was himself the principal ornament, that she hadrejected all the proposals of marriage which had hitherto been madeto her, and, as he had sedulously watched her from her earliestyears, he had reason to believe that her heart had escaped anydangerous impression. This being her situation, he had long lookedupon her as his future property; as such he had indulged hisadmiration, and as such he had already appropriated her estate, though he had not more vigilantly inspected into her sentiments, than he had guarded his own from a similar scrutiny. 

The death of the Dean her uncle had, indeed, much alarmed him; hegrieved at her leaving Suffolk, where he considered himself thefirst man, alike in parts and in consequence, and he dreaded herresiding in London, where he foresaw that numerous rivals, equal tohimself in talents and in riches, would speedily surround her;rivals, too, youthful and sanguine, not shackled by present ties, but at liberty to solicit her immediate acceptance. Beauty andindependence, rarely found together, would attract a crowd ofsuitors at once brilliant and assiduous; and the house of Mr Harrelwas eminent for its elegance and gaiety; but yet, undaunted bydanger, and confiding in his own powers, he determined to pursue theproject he had formed, not fearing by address and perseverance toensure its success. 

CHAPTER ii

AN ARGUMENT. 

Mr Monckton had, at this time, a party of company assembled at hishouse for the purpose of spending the Christmas holidays. He waitedwith anxiety the arrival of Cecilia, and flew to hand her from thechaise before Mr Harrel could alight. He observed the melancholy ofher countenance, and was much pleased to find that her Londonjourney had so little power to charm her. He conducted her to thebreakfast parlour, where Lady Margaret and his friends expected her. 

Lady Margaret received her with a coldness that bordered uponincivility; irascible by nature and jealous by situation, theappearance of beauty alarmed, and of chearfulness disgusted her. Sheregarded with watchful suspicion whoever was addressed by herhusband, and having marked his frequent attendance at the Deanery, she had singled out Cecilia for the object of her peculiarantipathy; while Cecilia, perceiving her aversion though ignorant ofits cause, took care to avoid all intercourse with her but whatceremony exacted, and pitied in secret the unfortunate lot of herfriend. 

The company now present consisted of one lady and several gentlemen. 

Miss Bennet, the lady, was in every sense of the phrase, the humblecompanion of Lady Margaret; she was low-born, meanly educated, andnarrow-minded; a stranger alike to innate merit or acquiredaccomplishments, yet skilful in the art of flattery, and an adept inevery species of low cunning. With no other view in life than theattainment of affluence without labour, she was not more the slaveof the mistress of the house, than the tool of its master; receivingindignity without murmur, and submitting to contempt as a thing ofcourse. 

Among the gentlemen, the most conspicuous, by means of his dress, was Mr Aresby, a captain in the militia; a young man who havingfrequently heard the words red-coat and gallantry put together, imagined the conjunction not merely customary, but honourable, andtherefore, without even pretending to think of the service of hiscountry, he considered a cockade as a badge of politeness, and woreit but to mark his devotion to the ladies, whom he held himselfequipped to conquer, and bound to adore. 

The next who by forwardness the most officious took care to benoticed, was Mr Morrice, a young lawyer, who, though rising in hisprofession, owed his success neither to distinguished abilities, norto skill-supplying industry, but to the art of uniting suppleness toothers with confidence in himself. To a reverence of rank, talents, and fortune the most profound, he joined an assurance in his ownmerit, which no superiority could depress; and with a presumptionwhich encouraged him to aim at all things, he blended a good-humourthat no mortification could lessen. And while by the pliability ofhis disposition he avoided making enemies, by his readiness tooblige, he learned the surest way of making friends by becominguseful to them. 

There were also some neighbouring squires; and there was one oldgentleman, who, without seeming to notice any of the company, satfrowning in a corner. 

But the principal figure in the circle was Mr Belfield, a tall, thinyoung man, whose face was all animation, and whose eyes sparkledwith intelligence. He had been intended by his father for trade, buthis spirit, soaring above the occupation for which he was designed, from repining led him to resist, and from resisting, to rebel. Heeloped from his friends, and contrived to enter the army. But, fondof the polite arts, and eager for the acquirement of knowledge, hefound not this way of life much better adapted to his inclinationthan that from which he had escaped; he soon grew weary of it, wasreconciled to his father, and entered at the Temple. But here, toovolatile for serious study, and too gay for laborious application, he made little progress: and the same quickness of parts and vigourof imagination which united with prudence, or accompanied byjudgment, might have raised him to the head of his profession, beingunhappily associated with fickleness and caprice, served only toimpede his improvement, and obstruct his preferment. And now, withlittle business, and that little neglected, a small fortune, andthat fortune daily becoming less, the admiration of the world, butthat admiration ending simply in civility, he lived an unsettled andunprofitable life, generally caressed, and universally sought, yetcareless of his interest and thoughtless of the future; devoting histime to company, his income to dissipation, and his heart to theMuses. 

"I bring you, " said Mr Monckton, as he attended Cecilia into theroom, "a subject of sorrow in a young lady who never gavedisturbance to her friends but in quitting them. "

"If sorrow, " cried Mr Belfield, darting upon her his piercing eyes, "wears in your part of the world a form such as this, who would wishto change it for a view of joy?"

"She's divinely handsome, indeed!" cried the Captain, affecting aninvoluntary exclamation. 

Meantime, Cecilia, who was placed next to the lady of the house, quietly began her breakfast; Mr Morrice, the young lawyer, with themost easy freedom, seating himself at her side, while Mr Moncktonwas elsewhere arranging the rest of his guests, in order to securethat place for himself. 

Mr Morrice, without ceremony, attacked his fair neighbour; he talkedof her journey, and the prospects of gaiety which it opened to herview; but by these finding her unmoved, he changed his theme, andexpatiated upon the delights of the spot she was quitting. Studiousto recommend himself to her notice, and indifferent by what means, one moment he flippantly extolled the entertainments of the town;and the next, rapturously described the charms of the country. Aword, a look sufficed to mark her approbation or dissent, which heno sooner discovered, than he slided into her opinion, with as muchfacility and satisfaction as if it had originally been his own. 

Mr Monckton, suppressing his chagrin, waited some time inexpectation that when this young man saw he was standing, he wouldyield to him his chair: but the remark was not made, and theresignation was not thought of. The Captain, too, regarding the ladyas his natural property for the morning, perceived with indignationby whom he was supplanted; while the company in general, saw withmuch surprize, the place they had severally foreborne to occupy fromrespect to their host, thus familiarly seized upon by the man who, in the whole room, had the least claim, either from age or rank, toconsult nothing but his own inclination. 

Mr Monckton, however, when he found that delicacy and good mannershad no weight with his guest, thought it most expedient to allowthem none with himself; and therefore, disguising his displeasureunder an appearance of facetiousness, he called out, "Come, Morrice, you that love Christmas sports, what say you to the game of move-all?"

"I like it of all things!" answered Morrice, and starting from hischair, he skipped to another. 

"So should I too, " cried Mr Monckton, instantly taking his place, "were I to remove from any seat but this. "

Morrice, though he felt himself outwitted, was the first to laugh, and seemed as happy in the change as Mr Monckton himself. 

Mr Monckton now, addressing himself to Cecilia, said, "We are goingto lose you, and you seem concerned at leaving us; yet, in a veryfew months you will forget Bury, forget its inhabitants, and forgetits environs. "

"If you think so, " answered Cecilia, "must I not thence infer thatBury, its inhabitants, and its environs, will in a very few monthsforget me?"

"Ay, ay, and so much the better!" said Lady Margaret, mutteringbetween her teeth, "so much the better!" "I am sorry you think so, madam, " cried Cecilia, colouring at her ill-breeding. 

"You will find, " said Mr Monckton, affecting the same ignorance ofher meaning that Cecilia really felt, "as you mix with the world, you will find that Lady Margaret has but expressed what by almostevery body is thought: to neglect old friends, and to court newacquaintance, though perhaps not yet avowedly delivered as a preceptfrom parents to children, is nevertheless so universally recommendedby example, that those who act differently, incur general censurefor affecting singularity. "

"It is happy then, for me, " answered Cecilia, "that neither myactions nor myself will be sufficiently known to attract publicobservation. "

"You intend, then, madam, " said Mr Belfield, "in defiance of thesemaxims of the world, to be guided by the light of your ownunderstanding. "

"And such, " returned Mr Monckton, "at first setting out in life, isthe intention of every one. The closet reasoner is always refined inhis sentiments, and always confident in his virtue; but when hemixes with the world, when he thinks less and acts more, he soonfinds the necessity of accommodating himself to such customs as arealready received, and of pursuing quietly the track that is alreadymarked out. "

"But not, " exclaimed Mr Belfield, "if he has the least grain ofspirit! the beaten track will be the last that a man of parts willdeign to tread, For common rules were ne'er designed Directors of a noble mind. "

"A pernicious maxim! a most pernicious maxim!" cried the oldgentleman, who sat frowning in a corner of the room. 

"Deviations from common rules, " said Mr Monckton, without taking anynotice of this interruption, "when they proceed from genius, are notmerely pardonable, but admirable; and you, Belfield, have a peculiarright to plead their merits; but so little genius as there is in theworld, you must surely grant that pleas of this sort are very rarelyto be urged. "

"And why rarely, " cried Belfield, "but because your general rules, your appropriated customs, your settled forms, are but so manyabsurd arrangements to impede not merely the progress of genius, butthe use of understanding? If man dared act for himself, if neitherworldly views, contracted prejudices, eternal precepts, norcompulsive examples, swayed his better reason and impelled hisconduct, how noble indeed would he be! _how infinite in faculties!in apprehension how like a God!_" [Footnote: Hamlet. ]

"All this, " answered Mr Monckton, "is but the doctrine of a livelyimagination, that looks upon impossibilities simply as difficulties, and upon difficulties as mere invitations to victory. But experienceteaches another lesson; experience shows that the opposition of anindividual to a community is always dangerous in the operation, andseldom successful in the event;--never, indeed, without aconcurrence strange as desirable, of fortunate circumstances withgreat abilities. "

"And why is this, " returned Belfield, "but because the attempt is soseldom made? The pitiful prevalence of general conformity extirpatesgenius, and murders originality; the man is brought up, not as if hewere 'the noblest work of God, ' but as a mere ductile machine ofhuman formation: he is early taught that he must neither consult hisunderstanding, nor pursue his inclinations, lest, unhappily for hiscommerce with the world, his understanding should be averse tofools, and provoke him to despise them; and his inclinations to thetyranny of perpetual restraint, and give him courage to abjure it. "

"I am ready enough to allow, " answered Mr Monckton, "that aneccentric genius, such, for example, as yours, may murmur at thetediousness of complying with the customs of the world, and wish, unconfined, and at large, to range through life without any settledplan or prudential restriction; but would you, therefore, grant thesame licence to every one? would you wish to see the world peopledwith defiers of order, and contemners of established forms? and notmerely excuse the irregularities resulting from uncommon parts, butencourage those, also, to lead, who without blundering cannot evenfollow?"

"I would have _all_ men, " replied Belfield, "whetherphilosophers or ideots, act for themselves. Every one would thenappear what he is; enterprize would be encouraged, and imitationabolished; genius would feel its superiority, and folly itsinsignificance; and then, and then only, should we cease to besurfeited with that eternal sameness of manner and appearance whichat present runs through all ranks of men. "

"Petrifying dull work this, _mon ami!_" said the Captain, in awhisper to Morrice, "_de grace_, start some new game. "

"With all my heart, " answered he; and then, suddenly jumping up, exclaimed, "A hare! a hare!"

"Where?--where?--which way?" and all the gentlemen arose, and ran todifferent windows, except the master of the house, the object ofwhose pursuit was already near him. 

Morrice, with much pretended earnestness, flew from window towindow, to trace footsteps upon the turf which he knew had notprinted it: yet, never inattentive to his own interest, when heperceived in the midst of the combustion he had raised, that LadyMargaret was incensed at the noise it produced, he artfully gaveover his search, and seating himself in a chair next to her, eagerlyoffered to assist her with cakes, chocolate, or whatever the tableafforded. 

He had, however, effectually broken up the conversation; andbreakfast being over, Mr Harrel ordered his chaise, and Ceciliaarose to take leave. 

And now not without some difficulty could Mr Monckton disguise theuneasy fears which her departure occasioned him. Taking her hand, "Isuppose, " he said, "you will not permit an old friend to visit youin town, lest the sight of him should prove a disagreeable memorialof the time you will soon regret having wasted in the country?"

"Why will you say this, Mr Monckton?" cried Cecilia; "I am sure youcannot think it. "

"These profound studiers of mankind, madam, " said Belfield, "aremighty sorry champions for constancy or friendship. They wage warwith all expectations but of depravity, and grant no quarter even tothe purest designs, where they think there will be any temptation todeviate from them. "

"Temptation, " said Mr Monckton, "is very easy of resistance intheory; but if you reflect upon the great change of situation MissBeverley will experience, upon the new scenes she will see, the newacquaintance she must make, and the new connections she may form, you will not wonder at the anxiety of a friend for her welfare. "

"But I presume, " cried Belfield, with a laugh, "Miss Beverley doesnot mean to convey her person to town, and leave her understandinglocked up, with other natural curiosities, in the country? Why, therefore, may not the same discernment regulate her adoption of newacquaintance, and choice of new connections, that guided herselection of old ones? Do you suppose that because she is to takeleave of you, she is to take leave of herself?"

"Where fortune smiles upon youth and beauty, " answered Mr Monckton, "do you think it nothing that their fair possessor should make asudden transition of situation from the quietness of a retired lifein the country, to the gaiety of a splendid town residence?"

"Where fortune _frowns_ upon youth and beauty, " returnedBelfield, "they may not irrationally excite commiseration; but wherenature and chance unite their forces to bless the same object, whatroom there may be for alarm or lamentation I confess I cannotdivine. "

"What!" cried Mr Monckton, with some emotion, "are there notsharpers, fortune-hunters, sycophants, wretches of all sorts anddenominations, who watch the approach of the rich and unwary, feedupon their inexperience, and prey upon their property?"

"Come, come, " cried Mr Harrel, "it is time I should hasten my fairward away, if this is your method of describing the place she isgoing to live in. "

"Is it possible, " cried the Captain, advancing to Cecilia, "thatthis lady has never yet tried the town?" and then, lowering hisvoice, and smiling languishingly in her face, he added, "Cananything so divinely handsome have been immured in the country? Ah!_quelle honte!_ do you make it a principle to be so cruel?"

Cecilia, thinking such a compliment merited not any other noticethan a slight bow, turned to Lady Margaret, and said, "Should yourladyship be in town this winter, may I expect the honour of hearingwhere I may wait upon you?"

"I don't know whether I shall go or not, " answered the old lady, with her usual ungraciousness. 

Cecilia would now have hastened away, but Mr Monckton, stopping her, again expressed his fears of the consequences of her journey; "Beupon your guard, " he cried, "with all new acquaintance; judge nobodyfrom appearances; form no friendship rashly; take time to look aboutyou, and remember you can make no alteration in your way of life, without greater probability of faring worse, than chance of faringbetter. Keep therefore as you are, and the more you see of others, the more you will rejoice that you neither resemble nor areconnected with them. "

"This from you, Mr Monckton!" cried Belfield, "what is become ofyour conformity system? I thought all the world was to be alike, oronly so much the worse for any variation?"

"I spoke, " said Mr Monckton, "of the world in general, not of thislady in particular; and who that knows, who that sees her, would notwish it were possible she might continue in every respect exactlyand unalterably what she is at present?"

"I find, " said Cecilia, "you are determined that flattery at least, should I meet with it, shall owe no pernicious effects to itsnovelty. "

"Well, Miss Beverley, " cried Mr Harrel, "will you now venture toaccompany me to town? Or has Mr Monckton frightened you fromproceeding any farther?"

"If, " replied Cecilia, "I felt no more sorrow in quitting myfriends, than I feel terror in venturing to London, with how light aheart should I make the journey!"

"Brava!" cried Belfield, "I am happy to find the discourse of MrMonckton has not intimidated you, nor prevailed upon you to deploreyour condition in having the accumulated misery of being young, fairand affluent. "

"Alas! poor thing!" exclaimed the old gentleman who sat in thecorner, fixing his eyes upon Cecilia with an expression of mingledgrief and pity. 

Cecilia started, but no one else paid him any attention. 

The usual ceremonies of leave-taking now followed, and the Captain, with most obsequious reverence, advanced to conduct Cecilia to thecarriage; but in the midst of the dumb eloquence of his bows andsmiles, Mr Morrice, affecting not to perceive his design, skippedgaily between them, and, without any previous formality, seized thehand of Cecilia himself; failing not, however, to temper the freedomof his action by a look of respect the most profound. 

The Captain shrugged and retired. But Mr Monckton, enraged at hisassurance, and determined it should nothing avail him, exclaimed, "Why how now, Morrice, do you take away the privilege of my house?"

"True, true;" answered Morrice, "you members of parliament have anundoubted right to be tenacious of your privileges. " Then, bowingwith a look of veneration to Cecilia, he resigned her hand with anair of as much happiness as he had taken it. 

Mr Monckton, in leading her to the chaise, again begged permissionto wait upon her in town: Mr Harrel took the hint, and entreated himto consider his house as his own; and Cecilia, gratefully thankinghim for his solicitude in her welfare, added, "And I hope, sir, youwill honour me with your counsel and admonitions with respect to myfuture conduct, whenever you have the goodness to let me see you. "

This was precisely his wish. He begged, in return, that she wouldtreat him with confidence, and then suffered the chaise to driveoff. 

CHAPTER iii

AN ARRIVAL. 

As soon as they lost sight of the house, Cecilia expressed hersurprise at the behaviour of the old gentleman who sat in thecorner, whose general silence, seclusion from the company, andabsence of mind, had strongly excited her curiosity. 

Mr Harrel could give her very little satisfaction: he told her thathe had twice or thrice met him in public places, where everybodyremarked the singularity of his manners and appearance, but that hehad never discoursed with anyone to whom he seemed known; and thathe was as much surprised as herself in seeing so strange a characterat the house of Mr Monckton. 

The conversation then turned upon the family they had just quitted, and Cecilia warmly declared the good opinion she had of Mr Monckton, the obligations she owed to him for the interest which, from herchildhood, he had always taken in her affairs; and her hopes ofreaping much instruction from the friendship of a man who had soextensive a knowledge of the world. 

Mr Harrel professed himself well satisfied that she should have sucha counsellor; for though but little acquainted with him, he knew hewas a man of fortune and fashion, and well esteemed in the world. They mutually compassionated his unhappy situation in domestic life, and Cecilia innocently expressed her concern at the dislike LadyMargaret seemed to have taken to her; a dislike which Mr Harrelnaturally enough imputed to her youth and beauty, yet withoutsuspecting any cause more cogent than a general jealousy ofattractions of which she had herself so long outlived thepossession. 

As their journey drew near to its conclusion, all the uneasy anddisagreeable sensations which in the bosom of Cecilia hadaccompanied its commencement, gave way to the expectation of quickapproaching happiness in again meeting her favourite young friend. 

Mrs Harrel had in childhood been her playmate, and in youth herschool-fellow; a similarity of disposition with respect to sweetnessof temper, had early rendered them dear to each other, though theresemblance extended no farther, Mrs Harrel having no pretensions tothe wit or understanding of her friend; but she was amiable andobliging, and therefore sufficiently deserving affection, thoughneither blazing with attractions which laid claim to admiration, norendowed with those superior qualities which mingle respect in thelove they inspire. 

From the time of her marriage, which was near three years, she hadentirely quitted Suffolk, and had had no intercourse with Ceciliabut by letter. She was now just returned from Violet Bank, the namegiven by Mr Harrel to a villa about twelve miles from London, wherewith a large party of company she had spent the Christmas holidays. 

Their meeting was tender and affectionate; the sensibility ofCecilia's heart flowed from her eyes, and the gladness of MrsHarrel's dimpled her cheeks. 

As soon as their mutual salutations, expressions of kindness, andgeneral inquiries had been made, Mrs Harrel begged to lead her tothe drawing-room, "where, " she added, "you will see some of myfriends, who are impatient to be presented to you. "

"I could have wished, " said Cecilia, "after so long an absence, tohave passed this first evening alone with you. "

"They are all people who particularly desired to see you, " sheanswered, "and I had them by way of entertaining you, as I wasafraid you would be out of spirits at leaving Bury. "

Cecilia, finding the kindness of her intentions, forbore any furtherexpostulation, and quietly followed her to the drawing-room. But asthe door was opened, she was struck with amazement upon finding thatthe apartment, which was spacious, lighted with brilliancy, anddecorated with magnificence, was more than half filled with company, every one of which was dressed with gaiety and profusion. 

Cecilia, who from the word friends, expected to have seen a smalland private party, selected for the purpose of social converse, started involuntarily at the sight before her, and had hardlycourage to proceed. 

Mrs Harrel, however, took her hand and introduced her to the wholecompany, who were all severally named to her; a ceremonial whichthough not merely agreeable but even necessary to those who live inthe gay world, in order to obviate distressing mistakes, orunfortunate implications in discourse, would by Cecilia have beenwillingly dispensed with, since to her their names were as new astheir persons, and since knowing nothing of their histories, partiesor connections, she could to nothing allude: it therefore served butto heighten her colour and increase her embarrassment. 

A native dignity of mind, however, which had early taught her todistinguish modesty from bashfulness, enabled her in a short time toconquer her surprise, and recover her composure. She entreated MrsHarrel to apologise for her appearance, and being seated between twoyoung ladies, endeavoured to seem reconciled to it herself. 

Nor was this very difficult; for while her dress, which she had notchanged since her journey, joined to the novelty of her face, attracted general observation, the report of her fortune, which hadpreceded her entrance, secured to her general respect. She soonfound, too, that a company was not necessarily formidable becausefull dressed, that familiarity could be united with magnificence, and that though to her, every one seemed attired to walk in aprocession, or to grace a drawing-room, no formality was assumed, and no solemnity was affected: every one was without restraint, evenrank obtained but little distinction; ease was the general plan, andentertainment the general pursuit. 

Cecilia, though new to London, which city the ill-health of heruncle had hitherto prevented her seeing, was yet no stranger tocompany; she had passed her time in retirement, but not inobscurity, since for some years past she had presided at the tableof the Dean, who was visited by the first people of the county inwhich he lived: and notwithstanding his parties, which were frequentthough small, and elegant though private, had not prepared her forthe splendour or the diversity of a London assembly, they yet, byinitiating her in the practical rules of good breeding, had taughther to subdue the timid fears of total inexperience, and to repressthe bashful feelings of shamefaced awkwardness; fears and feelingswhich rather call for compassion than admiration, and which, exceptin extreme youth, serve but to degrade the modesty they indicate. 

She regarded, therefore, the two young ladies between whom she wasseated, rather with a wish of addressing, than a shyness of beingattacked by them; but the elder, Miss Larolles, was earnestlyengaged in discourse with a gentleman, and the younger, Miss Leeson, totally discouraged her, by the invariable silence and gravity withwhich from time to time she met her eyes. 

Uninterrupted, therefore, except by occasional speeches from Mr andMrs Harrel, she spent the first part of the evening merely insurveying the company. 

Nor was the company dilatory in returning her notice, since from thetime of her entrance into the room, she had been the object ofgeneral regard. 

The ladies took an exact inventory of her dress, and internallysettled how differently they would have been attired if blessed withequal affluence. 

The men disputed among themselves whether or not she was painted;and one of them asserting boldly that she rouged well, a debateensued, which ended in a bet, and the decision was mutually agreedto depend upon the colour of her cheeks by the beginning of April, when, if unfaded by bad hours and continual dissipation, they worethe same bright bloom with which they were now glowing, her championacknowledged that his wager would be lost. 

In about half an hour the gentleman with whom Miss Larolles had beentalking, left the room, and then that young lady, turning suddenlyto Cecilia, exclaimed, "How odd Mr Meadows is! Do you know, he sayshe shan't be well enough to go to Lady Nyland's assembly! Howridiculous! as if that could hurt him. "

Cecilia, surprised at an attack so little ceremonious, lent her acivil, but silent attention. 

"You shall be there, shan't you?" she added. 

"No, ma'am, I have not the honour of being at all known to herladyship. "

"Oh, there's nothing in that, " returned she, "for Mrs Harrel canacquaint her you are here, and then, you know, she'll send you aticket, and then you can go. "

"A ticket?" repeated Cecilia, "does Lady Nyland only admit hercompany with tickets?"

"Oh, lord!" cried Miss Larolles, laughing immoderately, "don't youknow what I mean? Why, a ticket is only a visiting card, with a nameupon it; but we all call them tickets now. "

Cecilia thanked her for the information, and then Miss Larollesenquired how many miles she had travelled since morning?

"Seventy-three, " answered Cecilia, "which I hope will plead myapology for being so little dressed. "

"Oh, you're vastly well, " returned the other, "and for my part, Inever think about dress. But only conceive what happened to me lastyear! Do you know I came to town the twentieth of March! was notthat horrid provoking?"

"Perhaps so, " said Cecilia, "but I am sure I cannot tell why. "

"Not tell why?" repeated Miss Larolles, "why, don't you know it wasthe very night of the grand private masquerade at Lord Darien's? Iwould not have missed it for the whole universe. I never travelledin such an agony in my life: we did not get to town till monstrouslate, and then do you know I had neither a ticket nor a habit! Onlyconceive what a distress! well, I sent to every creature I knew fora ticket, but they all said there was not one to be had; so I wasjust like a mad creature--but about ten or eleven o'clock, a younglady of my particular acquaintance, by the greatest good luck in theworld happened to be taken suddenly ill; so she sent me her ticket, --was not that delightful?"

"For _her_, extremely!" said Cecilia, laughing. 

"Well, " she continued, "then I was almost out of my wits with joy;and I went about, and got one of the sweetest dresses you ever saw. If you'll call upon me some morning, I'll shew it you. "

Cecilia, not prepared for an invitation so abrupt, bowed withoutspeaking, and Miss Larolles, too happy in talking herself to beoffended at the silence of another, continued her narration. 

"Well, but now comes the vilest part of the business; do you know, when everything else was ready, I could not get my hair-dresser! Isent all over the town, --he was nowhere to be found; I thought Ishould have died with vexation; I assure you I cried so that if Ihad not gone in a mask, I should have been ashamed to be seen. Andso, after all this monstrous fatigue, I was forced to have my hairdressed by my own maid, quite in a common way; was not it cruellymortifying?"

"Why yes, " answered Cecilia, "I should think it was almostsufficient to make you regret the illness of the young lady who sentyou her ticket. "

They were now interrupted by Mrs Harrel, who advanced to themfollowed by a young man of a serious aspect and modest demeanour, and said, "I am happy to see you both so well engaged; but mybrother has been reproaching me with presenting everybody to MissBeverley but himself. "

"I cannot hope, " said Mr Arnott, "that I have any place in therecollection of Miss Beverley, but long as I have been absent fromSuffolk, and unfortunate as I was in not seeing her during my lastvisit there, I am yet sure, even at this distance of time, grown andformed as she is, I should instantly have known her. "

"Amazing!" cried an elderly gentleman, in a tone of irony, who wasstanding near them, "for the face is a very common one!"

"I remember well, " said Cecilia, "that when you left Suffolk Ithought I had lost my best friend. "

"Is that possible?" cried Mr Arnott, with a look of much delight. 

"Yes, indeed, and not without reason, for in all disputes you weremy advocate; in all plays, my companion; and in all difficulties, myassistant. "

"Madam, " cried the same gentleman, "if you liked him because he wasyour advocate, companion, and assistant, pray like me too, for I amready to become all three at once. "

"You are very good, " said Cecilia, laughing, "but at present I findno want of any defender. "

"That's pity, " he returned, "for Mr Arnott seems to me very willingto act the same parts over again with you. "

"But for that purpose he must return to the days of his childhood. "

"Ah, would to heaven it were possible!" cried Mr Arnott, "for theywere the happiest of my life. "

"After such a confession, " said his companion, "surely you will lethim attempt to renew them? 'tis but taking a walk backwards; andthough it is very early in life for Mr Arnott to sigh for thatretrograde motion, which, in the regular course of things, we shallall in our turns desire, yet with such a motive as recovering MissBeverley for a playfellow, who can wonder that he anticipates inyouth the hopeless wishes of age?"

Here Miss Larolles, who was one of that numerous tribe of youngladies to whom all conversation is irksome in which they are notthemselves engaged, quitted her place, of which Mr Gosport, Cecilia's new acquaintance, immediately took possession. 

"Is it utterly impossible, " continued this gentleman, "that I shouldassist in procuring Mr Arnott such a renovation? Is there nosubaltern part I can perform to facilitate the project? for I willeither _hide_ or _seek_ with any boy in the parish; andfor a _Q in the corner_, there is none more celebrated. "

"I have no doubt, sir, " answered Cecilia, "of your accomplishments;and I should be not a little entertained with the surprize of thecompany if you could persuade yourself to display them. " "And what, "cried he, "could the company do half so well as to rise also, andjoin in the sport? it would but interrupt some tale of scandal, orsome description of a _toupee_. Active wit, however despicablewhen compared with intellectual, is yet surely better than theinsignificant click-clack of modish conversation, " casting his eyestowards Miss Larolles, "or even the pensive dullness of affectedsilence, " changing their direction towards Miss Leeson. 

Cecilia, though surprised at an attack upon the society her friendhad selected, by one who was admitted to make a part of it, felt itsjustice too strongly to be offended at its severity. 

"I have often wished, " he continued, "that when large parties arecollected, as here, without any possible reason why they might notas well be separated, something could be proposed in which eachperson might innocently take a share: for surely after the firsthalf-hour, they can find little new to observe in the dress of theirneighbours, or to display in their own; and with whatever seeminggaiety they may contrive to fill up the middle and end of theevening, by wire-drawing the comments afforded by the beginning, they are yet so miserably fatigued, that if they have not four orfive places to run to every night, they suffer nearly as much fromweariness of their friends in company, as they would do fromweariness of themselves in solitude. "

Here, by the general breaking up of the party, the conversation wasinterrupted, and Mr Gosport was obliged to make his exit; not muchto the regret of Cecilia, who was impatient to be alone with MrsHarrel. 

The rest of the evening, therefore, was spent much more to hersatisfaction; it was devoted to friendship, to mutual enquiries, tokind congratulations, and endearing recollections; and though it waslate when she retired, she retired with reluctance. 

CHAPTER iv

A SKETCH OF HIGH LIFE. 

Eager to renew a conversation which had afforded her so muchpleasure, Cecilia, neither sensible of fatigue from her change ofhours nor her journey, arose with the light, and as soon as she wasdressed, hastened to the breakfast apartment. 

She had not, however, been more impatient to enter than she soonbecame to quit it; for though not much surprized to find herselfthere before her friend, her ardour for waiting her arrival wassomewhat chilled, upon finding the fire but just lighted, the roomcold, and the servants still employed in putting it in order. 

At 10 o'clock she made another attempt: the room was then betterprepared for her reception, but still it was empty. Again she wasretiring, when the appearance of Mr Arnott stopped her. 

He expressed his surprize at her early rising, in a manner thatmarked the pleasure it gave to him; and then, returning to theconversation of the preceding evening, he expatiated with warmth andfeeling upon the happiness of his boyish days, remembered everycircumstance belonging to the plays in which they had formerly beencompanions, and dwelt upon every incident with a minuteness ofdelight that shewed his unwillingness ever to have done with thesubject. 

This discourse detained her till they were joined by Mrs Harrel, andthen another, more gay and more general succeeded to it. 

During their breakfast, Miss Larolles was announced as a visitor toCecilia, to whom she immediately advanced with the intimacy of anold acquaintance, taking her hand, and assuring her she could nolonger defer the honour of waiting upon her. 

Cecilia, much amazed at this warmth of civility from one to whom shewas almost a stranger, received her compliment rather coldly; butMiss Larolles, without consulting her looks, or attending to hermanner, proceeded to express the earnest desire she had long had tobe known to her; to hope they should meet very often; to declarenothing could make her so happy; and to beg leave to recommend toher notice her own milliner. 

"I assure you, " she continued, "she has all Paris in her disposal;the sweetest caps! the most beautiful trimmings! and her ribbons arequite divine! It is the most dangerous thing you can conceive to gonear her; I never trust myself in her room but I am sure to beruined. If you please, I'll take you to her this morning. "

"If her acquaintance is so ruinous, " said Cecilia, "I think I hadbetter avoid it. "

"Oh, impossible! there's no such thing as living without her. To besure she's shockingly dear, that I must own; but then who canwonder? She makes such sweet things, 'tis impossible to pay her toomuch for them. "

Mrs Harrel now joining in the recommendation, the party was agreedupon, and accompanied by Mr Arnott, the ladies proceeded to thehouse of the milliner. 

Here the raptures of Miss Larolles were again excited: she viewedthe finery displayed with delight inexpressible, enquired who werethe intended possessors, heard their names with envy, and sighedwith all the bitterness of mortification that she was unable toorder home almost everything she looked at. 

Having finished their business here, they proceeded to various otherdress manufacturers, in whose praises Miss Larolles was almostequally eloquent, and to appropriate whose goods she was almostequally earnest: and then, after attending this loquacious younglady to her father's house, Mrs Harrel and Cecilia returned to theirown. 

Cecilia rejoiced at the separation, and congratulated herself thatthe rest of the day might be spent alone with her friend. 

"Why, no, " said Mrs Harrel, "not absolutely alone, for I expect somecompany at night. "

"Company again to-night?"

"Nay, don't be frightened, for it will be a very small party; notmore than fifteen or twenty in all. "

"Is that so small a party?" said Cecilia, smiling; "and how short atime since would you, as well as I, have reckoned it a large one!"

"Oh, you mean when I lived in the country, " returned Mrs Harrel;"but what in the world could I know of parties or company then?"

"Not much, indeed, " said Cecilia, "as my present ignorance shews. "

They then parted to dress for dinner. 

The company of this evening were again all strangers to Cecilia, except Miss Leeson, who was seated next to her, and whose frigidlooks again compelled her to observe the same silence she soresolutely practised herself. Yet not the less was her internalsurprise that a lady who seemed determined neither to give norreceive any entertainment, should repeatedly chuse to show herselfin a company with no part of which she associated. 

Mr Arnott, who contrived to occupy the seat on her other side, suffered not the silence with which her fair neighbour had infectedher to spread any further: he talked, indeed, upon no new subject;and upon the old one, of their former sports and amusements, he hadalready exhausted all that was worth being mentioned; but not yethad he exhausted the pleasure he received from the theme; it seemedalways fresh and always enchanting to him; it employed his thoughts, regaled his imagination, and enlivened his discourse. Cecilia invain tried to change it for another; he quitted it only bycompulsion, and returned to it with redoubled eagerness. 

When the company was retired, and Mr Arnott only remained with theladies, Cecilia, with no little surprise, inquired for Mr Harrel, observing that she had not seen him the whole day. 

"O!" cried his lady, "don't think of wondering at that, for ithappens continually. He dines at home, indeed, in general, butotherwise I should see nothing of him at all. "

"Indeed? why, how does he fill up his time?"

"That I am sure I cannot tell, for he never consults me about it;but I suppose much in the same way that other people do. "

"Ah, Priscilla!" cried Cecilia, with some earnestness, "how littledid I ever expect to see you so much a fine lady!"

"A fine lady?" repeated Mrs Harrel; "why, what is it I do? Don't Ilive exactly like every body else that mixes at all with the world?"

"You, Miss Beverley, " said Mr Arnott in a low voice, "will I hopegive to the world an example, not take one from it. "

Soon after, they separated for the night. 

The next morning, Cecilia took care to fill up her time moreadvantageously, than in wandering about the house in search of acompanion she now expected not to find: she got together her books, arranged them to her fancy, and secured to herself for the futureoccupation of her leisure hours, the exhaustless fund ofentertainment which reading, that richest, highest, and noblestsource of intellectual enjoyment, perpetually affords. 

While they were yet at breakfast, they were again visited by MissLarolles. "I am come, " cried she, eagerly, "to run away with youboth to my Lord Belgrade's sale. All the world will be there; and weshall go in with tickets, and you have no notion how it will becrowded. "

"What is to be sold there?" said Cecilia. 

"Oh, every thing you can conceive; house, stables, china, laces, horses, caps, everything in the world. "

"And do you intend to buy any thing?"

"Lord, no; but one likes to see the people's things. "

Cecilia then begged they would excuse her attendance. 

"O, by no means!" cried Miss Larolles; "you must go, I assure you;there'll be such a monstrous crowd as you never saw in your life. Idare say we shall be half squeezed to death. "

"That, " said Cecilia, "is an inducement which you must not expectwill have much weight with a poor rustic just out of the country: itmust require all the polish of a long residence in the metropolis tomake it attractive. "

"O but do go, for I assure you it will be the best sale we shallhave this season. I can't imagine, Mrs Harrel, what poor LadyBelgrade will do with herself; I hear the creditors have seizedevery thing; I really believe creditors are the cruelest set ofpeople in the world! they have taken those beautiful buckles out ofher shoes! Poor soul! I declare it will make my heart ache to seethem put up. It's quite shocking, upon my word. I wonder who'll buythem. I assure you they were the prettiest fancied I ever saw. Butcome, if we don't go directly, there will be no getting in. "

Cecilia again desired to be excused accompanying them, adding thatshe wished to spend the day at home. 

"At home, my dear?" cried Mrs Harrel; "why we have been engaged toMrs Mears this month, and she begged me to prevail with you to be ofthe party. I expect she'll call, or send you a ticket, every moment"

"How unlucky for me, " said Cecilia, "that you should happen to haveso many engagements just at this time! I hope, at least, there willnot be any for to-morrow. "

"O yes; to-morrow we go to Mrs Elton's. "

"Again to-morrow? and how long is this to last?"

"O, heaven knows; I'll shew you my catalogue. "

She then produced a book which contained a list of engagements formore than three weeks. "And as these, " she said, "are struck off, new ones are made; and so it is we go on till after the birth-day. "

When this list had been examined and commented upon by MissLarolles, and viewed and wondered at by Cecilia, it was restored toits place, the two ladies went together to the auction, permittingCecilia, at her repeated request, to return to her own apartment. 

She returned, however, neither satisfied with the behaviour of herfriend, nor pleased with her own situation: the sobriety of hereducation, as it had early instilled into her mind the pure dictatesof religion, and strict principles of honour, had also taught her toregard continual dissipation as an introduction to vice, andunbounded extravagance as the harbinger of injustice. Longaccustomed to see Mrs Harrel in the same retirement in which she hadhitherto lived herself, when books were their first amusement, andthe society of each other was their chief happiness, the change shenow perceived in her mind and manners equally concerned andsurprised her. She found her insensible to friendship, indifferentto her husband, and negligent of all social felicity. Dress, company, parties of pleasure, and public places, seemed not merelyto occupy all her time; but to gratify all her wishes. Cecilia, inwhose heart glowed the warmest affections and most generous virtue, was cruelly depressed and mortified by this disappointment; yet shehad the good sense to determine against upbraiding her, well awarethat if reproach has any power over indifference, it is only that ofchanging it into aversion. 

Mrs Harrel, in truth, was innocent of heart, though dissipated inlife; married very young, she had made an immediate transition fromliving in a private family and a country town, to becoming mistressof one of the most elegant houses in Portman-square, at the head ofa splendid fortune, and wife to a man whose own pursuits soon showedher the little value he himself set upon domestic happiness. Immersed in the fashionable round of company and diversions, herunderstanding, naturally weak, was easily dazzled by the brilliancyof her situation; greedily, therefore, sucking in air impregnatedwith luxury and extravagance, she had soon no pleasure but to viewith some rival in elegance, and no ambition but to exceed somesuperior in expence. 

The Dean of----in naming Mr Harrel for one of the guardians of hisniece, had no other view than that of indulging her wishes byallowing her to reside in the house of her friend: he had littlepersonal knowledge of him, but was satisfied with the nomination, because acquainted with his family, fortune, and connections, allwhich persuaded him to believe without further enquiry, that it wasmore peculiarly proper for his niece than any other he could make. 

In his choice of the other two trustees he had been more prudent;the first of these, the honourable Mr Delvile, was a man of highbirth and character; the second, Mr Briggs, had spent his whole lifein business, in which he had already amassed an immense fortune, andhad still no greater pleasure than that of encreasing it. From thehigh honour, therefore, of Mr Delvile, he expected the mostscrupulous watchfulness that his niece should in nothing be injured, and from the experience of Mr Briggs in money matters, and hisdiligence in transacting business, he hoped for the most vigilantobservance that her fortune, while under his care, should be turnedto the best account. And thus, as far as he was able, he had equallyconsulted her pleasure, her security, and her pecuniary advantage. 

Mrs Harrel returned home only in time to dress for the rest of theday. 

When Cecilia was summoned to dinner, she found, besides her host andhostess and Mr Arnott, a gentleman she had not before seen, but whoas soon as she entered the parlour, Mr Harrel presented to her, saying at the same time he was one of the most intimate of hisfriends. 

This gentleman, Sir Robert Floyer, was about thirty years of age;his face was neither remarkable for its beauty nor its ugliness, butsufficiently distinguished by its expression of invincibleassurance; his person, too, though neither striking for its gracenor its deformity, attracted notice from the insolence of hisdeportment. His manners, haughty and supercilious, marked the highopinion he cherished of his own importance; and his air and address, at once bold and negligent, announced his happy perfection in thecharacter at which he aimed, that of an accomplished man of thetown. 

The moment Cecilia appeared, she became the object of his attention, though neither with the look of admiration due to her beauty, noryet with that of curiosity excited by her novelty, but with thescrutinizing observation of a man on the point of making a bargain, who views with fault-seeking eyes the property he means to cheapen. 

Cecilia, wholly unused to an examination so little ceremonious, shrunk abashed from his regards: but his conversation was not lessdispleasing to her than his looks; his principal subjects, whichwere horse-racing, losses at play, and disputes at gaming-tables, could afford her but little amusement, because she could notunderstand them; and the episodes with which they were occasionallyinterspersed, consisting chiefly of comparative strictures uponcelebrated beauties, hints of impending bankruptcies, and witticismsupon recent divorces, were yet more disagreeable to her, becausemore intelligible. Wearied, therefore, with uninteresting anecdotes, and offended with injudicious subjects of pleasantry, she waitedwith impatience for the moment of retiring; but Mrs Harrel, lesseager, because better entertained, was in no haste to remove, andtherefore she was compelled to remain quiet, till they were bothobliged to arise, in order to fulfil their engagement with MrsMears. 

As they went together to the house of that lady, in Mrs Harrel'svis-a-vis, Cecilia, not doubting but their opinions concerning theBaronet would accord, instantly and openly declared herdisapprobation of every thing he had uttered; but Mrs Harrel, farfrom confirming her expectations, only said, "I am sorry you don'tlike him, for he is almost always with us?"

"Do you like him, then, yourself?"

"Extremely; he is very entertaining and clever, and knows theworld. "

"How judiciously do you praise him!" cried Cecilia; "and how longmight you deliberate before you could add another word to hispanegyric!"

Mrs Harrel, satisfied to commend, without even attempting tovindicate him, was soon content to change the subject; and Cecilia, though much concerned that the husband of her friend had made sodisgraceful an election of a favourite, yet hoped that the lenity ofMrs Harrel resulted from her desire to excuse his choice, not fromher own approbation. 

CHAPTER v

AN ASSEMBLY. 

Mrs Mears, whose character was of that common sort which rendersdelineation superfluous, received them with the customary forms ofgood breeding. 

Mrs Harrel soon engaged herself at a card-table; and Cecilia, whodeclined playing, was seated next to Miss Leeson, who arose toreturn the courtesy she made in advancing to her, but that past, didnot again even look at her. 

Cecilia, though fond of conversation and formed for society, was toodiffident to attempt speaking where so little encouraged; they both, therefore, continued silent, till Sir Robert Floyer, Mr Harrel, andMr Arnott entered the room together, and all at the same timeadvanced to Cecilia. 

"What, " cried Mr Harrel, "don't you chuse to play, Miss Beverley?"

"I flatter myself, " cried Mr Arnott, "that Miss Beverley never playsat all, for then, in one thing, I shall have the honour to resembleher. "

"Very seldom, indeed, " answered Cecilia, "and consequently veryill. "

"O, you must take a few lessons, " said Mr Harrel, "Sir RobertFloyer, I am sure, will be proud to instruct you. "

Sir Robert, who had placed himself opposite to her, and was staringfull in her face, made a slight inclination of his head, and said, "Certainly. "

"I should be a very unpromising pupil, " returned Cecilia, "for Ifear I should not only want diligence to improve, but desire. "

"Oh, you will learn better things, " said Mr Harrel; "we have had youyet but three days amongst us, --in three months we shall see thedifference. "

"I hope not, " cried Mr Arnott, "I earnestly hope there will benone!"

Mr Harrel now joined another party; and Mr Arnott seeing no seatvacant near that of Cecilia, moved round to the back of her chair, where he patiently stood for the rest of the evening. But Sir Robertstill kept his post, and still, without troubling himself to speak, kept his eyes fixed upon the same object. 

Cecilia, offended by his boldness, looked a thousand ways to avoidhim; but her embarrassment, by giving greater play to her features, served only to keep awake an attention which might otherwise havewearied. She was almost tempted to move her chair round and face MrArnott, but though she wished to shew her disapprobation of theBaronet, she had not yet been reconciled by fashion to turning herback upon the company at large, for the indulgence of conversingwith some particular person: a fashion which to unaccustomedobservers seems rude and repulsive, but which, when once adopted, carries with it imperceptibly its own recommendation, in the ease, convenience and freedom it promotes. 

Thus disagreeably stationed, she found but little assistance fromthe neighbourhood of Mr Arnott, since even his own desire ofconversing with her, was swallowed up by an anxious and involuntaryimpulse to watch the looks and motions of Sir Robert. 

At length, quite tired of sitting as if merely an object to be gazedat, she determined to attempt entering into conversation with MissLeeson. 

The difficulty, however, was not inconsiderable how to make theattack; she was unacquainted with her friends and connections, uninformed of her way of thinking, or her way of life, ignorant evenof the sound of her voice, and chilled by the coldness of heraspect: yet, having no other alternative, she was more willing toencounter the forbidding looks of this lady, than to continuesilently abashed under the scrutinizing eyes of Sir Robert. 

After much deliberation with what subject to begin, she rememberedthat Miss Larolles had been present the first time they had met, andthought it probable they might be acquainted with each other; andtherefore, bending forward, she ventured to enquire if she hadlately seen that young lady?

Miss Leeson, in a voice alike inexpressive of satisfaction ordispleasure, quietly answered, "No, ma'am. "

Cecilia, discouraged by this conciseness, was a few minutes silent;but the perseverance of Sir Robert in staring at her, exciting herown in trying to avoid his eyes, she exerted herself so far as toadd, "Does Mrs Mears expect Miss Larolles here this evening?"

Miss Leeson, without raising her head, gravely replied, "I don'tknow, ma'am. "

All was now to be done over again, and a new subject to be started, for she could suggest nothing further to ask concerning MissLarolles. 

Cecilia had seen, little of life, but that little she had wellmarked, and her observation had taught her, that among fashionablepeople, public places seemed a never-failing source of conversationand entertainment: upon this topic, therefore, she hoped for bettersuccess; and as to those who have spent more time in the countrythan in London, no place of amusement is so interesting as atheatre, she opened the subject she had so happily suggested, by anenquiry whether any new play had lately come out?

Miss Leeson, with the same dryness, only answered, "Indeed, I can'ttell. "

Another pause now followed, and the spirits of Cecilia wereconsiderably dampt; but happening accidentally to recollect the nameof Almack, she presently revived, and, congratulating herself thatshe should now be able to speak of a place too fashionable fordisdain, she asked her, in a manner somewhat more assured, if shewas a subscriber to his assemblies?

"Yes, ma'am. "

"Do you go to them constantly?"

"No, ma'am. "

Again they were both silent. And now, tired of finding the ill-success of each particular enquiry, she thought a more general onemight obtain an answer less laconic, and therefore begged she wouldinform her what was the most fashionable place of diversion for thepresent season?

This question, however, cost Miss Leeson no more trouble than anywhich had preceded it, for she only replied, "Indeed I don't know. "

Cecilia now began to sicken of her attempt, and for some minutes togive it up as hopeless; but afterwards when she reflected howfrivolous were the questions she had asked, she felt more inclinedto pardon the answers she had received, and in a short time to fancyshe had mistaken contempt for stupidity, and to grow less angry withMiss Leeson than ashamed of herself. 

This supposition excited her to make yet another trial of hertalents for conversation, and therefore, summoning all the couragein her power, she modestly apologised for the liberty she wastaking, and then begged her permission to enquire whether there wasanything new in the literary way that she thought worthrecommending?

Miss Leeson now turned her eyes towards her, with a look thatimplied a doubt whether she had heard right; and when the attentiveattitude of Cecilia confirmed her question, surprise for a fewinstants took place of insensibility, and with rather more spiritthan she had yet shown, she answered, "Indeed, I know nothing of thematter. "

Cecilia was now utterly disconcerted; and half angry with herself, and wholly provoked with her sullen neighbour, she resolved to letnothing in future provoke her to a similar trial with so unpromisinga subject. 

She had not, however, much longer to endure the examination of SirRobert, who being pretty well satisfied with staring, turned uponhis heel, and was striding out of the room, when he was stopt by MrGosport, who for some time had been watching him. 

Mr Gosport was a man of good parts, and keen satire: minute in hisobservations, and ironical in his expressions. 

"So you don't play, Sir Robert?" he cried. 

"What, here? No, I am going to Brookes's. "

"But how do you like Harrel's ward? You have taken a pretty goodsurvey of her. "

"Why, faith, I don't know; but not much, I think; she's a devilishfine woman, too; but she has no spirit, no life. "

"Did you try her? Have you talked to her?"

"Not I, truly!"

"Nay, then how do you mean to judge of her?"

"O, faith, that's all over, now; one never thinks of talking to thewomen by way of trying them. "

"What other method, then, have you adopted?"

"None. "

"None? Why, then, how do you go on?"

"Why, they talk to us. The women take all that trouble uponthemselves now. "

"And pray how long may you have commenced _fade macaroni?_ Forthis is a part of your character with which I was not acquainted. "

"Oh, hang it, 'tis not from _ton_; no, it's merely fromlaziness. Who the d---l will fatigue himself with dancingattendance upon the women, when keeping them at a distance makesthem dance attendance upon us?"

Then stalking from him to Mr Harrel, he took him by the arm, andthey left the room together. 

Mr Gosport now advanced to Cecilia, and addressing her so as not tobe heard by Miss Leeson, said, "I have been wishing to approach you, some time, but the fear that you are already overpowered by theloquacity of your fair neighbour makes me cautious of attempting toengage you. "

"You mean, " said Cecilia, "to laugh at _my_ loquacity, andindeed its ill success has rendered it sufficiently ridiculous. "

"Are you, then, yet to learn, " cried he, "that there are certainyoung ladies who make it a rule never to speak but to their owncronies? Of this class is Miss Leeson, and till you get into herparticular coterie, you must never expect to hear from her a word oftwo syllables. The TON misses, as they are called, who now infestthe town, are in two divisions, the SUPERCILIOUS, and the VOLUBLE. The SUPERCILIOUS, like Miss Leeson, are silent, scornful, languid, and affected, and disdain all converse but with those of their ownset: the VOLUBLE, like Miss Larolles, are flirting, communicative, restless, and familiar, and attack without the smallest ceremony, every one they think worthy their notice. But this they have incommon, that at home they think of nothing but dress, abroad, ofnothing but admiration, and that every where they hold in supremecontempt all but themselves. "

"Probably, then, " said Cecilia, "I have passed tonight, for one ofthe VOLUBLES; however, all the advantage has been with theSUPERCILIOUS, for I have suffered a total repulse. "

"Are you sure, however, you have not talked too well for her?"

"O, a child of five years old ought to have been whipt for nottalking better!"

"But it is not capacity alone you are to consult when you talk withmisses of the TON; were their understandings only to be considered, they would indeed be wonderfully easy of access! in order, therefore, to render their commerce somewhat difficult, they willonly be pleased by an observance of their humours: which are evermost various and most exuberant where the intellects are weakest andleast cultivated. I have, however, a receipt which I have foundinfallible for engaging the attention of young ladies of whatsoevercharacter or denomination. "

"O, then, " cried Cecilia, "pray favour me with it, for I have herean admirable opportunity to try its efficacy. "

"I will give it you, " he answered, "with full directions. When youmeet with a young lady who seems resolutely determined not to speak, or who, if compelled by a direct question to make some answer, drilygives a brief affirmative, or coldly a laconic negative---"

"A case in point, " interrupted Cecilia. 

"Well, thus circumstanced, " he continued, "the remedy I have topropose consists of three topics of discourse. "

"Pray what are they?"

"Dress, public places, and love. "

Cecilia, half surprised and half diverted, waited a fullerexplanation without giving any interruption. 

"These three topics, " he continued, "are to answer three purposes, since there are no less than three causes from which the silence ofyoung ladies may proceed: sorrow, affectation, and stupidity. "

"Do you, then, " cried Cecilia, "give nothing at all to modesty?"

"I give much to it, " he answered, "as an excuse, nay almost as anequivalent for wit; but for that sullen silence which resists allencouragement, modesty is a mere pretence, not a cause. "

"You must, however, be somewhat more explicit, if you mean that Ishould benefit from your instructions. "

"Well, then, " he answered, "I will briefly enumerate the threecauses, with directions for the three methods of cure. To begin withsorrow. The taciturnity which really results from that is attendedwith an incurable absence of mind, and a total unconsciousness ofthe observation which it excites; upon this occasion, public placesmay sometimes be tried in vain, and even dress may fail; but love--"

"Are you sure, then, " said Cecilia, with a laugh, "that sorrow hasbut that one source?"

"By no means, " answered he, "for perhaps papa may have been angry, or mama may have been cross; a milliner may have sent a wrongpompoon, or a chaperon to an assembly may have been taken ill--"

"Bitter subjects of affliction, indeed! And are these all you allowus?"

"Nay, I speak but of young ladies of fashion, and what of greaterimportance can befall them? If, therefore, the grief of the fairpatient proceeds from papa, mama, or the chaperon, then the mentionof public places, those endless incentives of displeasure betweenthe old and the young, will draw forth her complaints, and hercomplaints will bring their own cure, for those who lament findspeedy consolation: if the milliner has occasioned the calamity, thediscussion of dress will have the same effect; should both thesemedicines fail, love, as I said before, will be found infallible, for you will then have investigated every subject of uneasinesswhich a youthful female in high life can experience. "

"They are greatly obliged to you, " cried Cecilia, bowing, "forgranting them motives of sorrow so honourable, and I thank you inthe name of the whole sex. "

"You, madam, " said he, returning her bow, "are I hope an exceptionin the happiest way, that of having no sorrow at all. I come, now, to the silence of affectation, which is presently discernible by theroving of the eye round the room to see if it is heeded, by thesedulous care to avoid an accidental smile, and by the variety ofdisconsolate attitudes exhibited to the beholders. This species ofsilence has almost without exception its origin in that babyishvanity which is always gratified by exciting attention, without everperceiving that it provokes contempt. In these cases, as nature iswholly out of the question, and the mind is guarded against its ownfeelings, dress and public places are almost certain of failing, buthere again love is sure to vanquish; as soon as it is named, attention becomes involuntary, and in a short time a strugglingsimper discomposes the arrangement of the features, and then thebusiness is presently over, for the young lady is either supportingsome system, or opposing some proposition, before she is well awarethat she has been cheated out of her sad silence at all. "

"So much, " said Cecilia, "for sorrow and for affectation. Proceednext to stupidity; for that, in all probability, I shall mostfrequently encounter. " "That always must be heavy work, " returnedhe, "yet the road is plain, though it is all up hill. Love, here, may be talked of without exciting any emotion, or provoking anyreply, and dress may be dilated upon without producing any othereffect than that of attracting a vacant stare; but public places areindubitably certain of success. Dull and heavy characters, incapableof animating from wit or from reason, because unable to keep pacewith them, and void of all internal sources of entertainment, require the stimulation of shew, glare, noise, and bustle, tointerest or awaken them. Talk to them of such subjects, and theyadore you; no matter whether you paint to them joy or horror, letthere but be action, and they are content; a battle has charms forthem equal to a coronation, and a funeral amuses them as much as awedding. "

"I am much obliged to you, " said Cecilia, smiling, "for theseinstructions; yet I must confess I know not how upon the presentoccasion to make use of them: public places I have already tried, but tried in vain; dress I dare not mention, as I have not yetlearned its technical terms--"

"Well, but, " interrupted he, "be not desperate; you have yet thethird topic unessayed. "

"O, that, " returned she, laughing, "I leave to you. "

"Pardon me, " cried he; "love is a source of loquacity only withyourselves: when it is started by men, young ladies dwindle intomere listeners. _Simpering_ listeners, I confess; but it isonly with one another that you will discuss its merits. "

At this time they were interrupted by the approach of Miss Larolles, who, tripping towards Cecilia, exclaimed, "Lord, how glad I am tosee you! So you would not go to the auction! Well, you had aprodigious loss, I assure you. All the wardrobe was sold, and allLady Belgrade's trinkets. I never saw such a collection of sweetthings in my life. I was ready to cry that I could not bid for halfa hundred of them. I declare I was kept in an agony the wholemorning. I would not but have been there for the world. Poor LadyBelgrade! you really can't conceive how I was shocked for her. Allher beautiful things sold for almost nothing. I assure you, if youhad seen how they went, you would have lost all patience. It's athousand pities you were not there. "

"On the contrary, " said Cecilia, "I think I had a very fortunateescape, for the loss of patience without the acquisition of thetrinkets, would have been rather mortifying. "

"Yes, " said Mr Gosport; "but when you have lived some time longer inthis commercial city, you will find the exchange of patience formortification the most common and constant traffic amongst itsinhabitants. "

"Pray, have you been here long?" cried Miss Larolles, "for I havebeen to twenty places, wondering I did not meet with you before. Butwhereabouts is Mrs Mears? O, I see her now; I'm sure there's nomistaking her; I could know her by that old red gown half a mileoff. Did you ever see such a frightful thing in your life? And it'snever off her back. I believe she sleeps in it. I am sure I haveseen her in nothing else all winter. It quite tires one's eye. She'sa monstrous shocking dresser. But do you know I have met with themost provoking thing in the world this evening? I declare it hasmade me quite sick. I was never in such a passion in my life. Youcan conceive nothing like it. "

"Like what?" cried Cecilia, laughing; "your passion, or yourprovocation?"

"Why, I'll tell you what it was, and then you shall judge if it wasnot quite past endurance. You must know I commissioned a particularfriend of mine, Miss Moffat, to buy me a trimming when she went toParis; well, she sent it me over about a month ago by Mr Meadows, and it's the sweetest thing you ever saw in your life; but I wouldnot make it up, because there was not a creature in town, so Ithought to bring it out quite new in about a week's time, for youknow any thing does till after Christmas. Well, to-night at LadyJane Dranet's, who should I meet but Miss Moffat! She had been intown some days, but so monstrously engaged I could never find her athome. Well, I was quite delighted to see her, for you must knowshe's a prodigious favourite with me, so I ran up to her in a greathurry to shake hands, and what do you think was the first thing thatstruck my eyes? Why, just such a trimming as my own, upon a nasty, odious gown, and half dirty! Can you conceive anything sodistressing? I could have cried with pleasure. "

"Why so?" said Cecilia. "If her trimming is dirty, yours will lookthe more delicate. "

"O Lord! but it's making it seem quite an old thing! Half the townwill get something like it. And I quite ruined myself to buy it. Ideclare, I don't think anything was ever half so mortifying. Itdistressed me so, I could hardly speak to her. If she had stayed amonth or two longer, I should not have minded it, but it was thecruellest thing in the world to come over just now. I wish theCustom-house officers had kept all her cloaths till summer. "

"The wish is tender, indeed, " said Cecilia, "for a _particularfriend_. "

Mrs Mears now rising from the card-table, Miss Larolles tript awayto pay her compliments to her. 

"Here, at least, " cried Cecilia, "no receipt seems requisite for thecure of silence! I would have Miss Larolles be the constantcompanion of Miss Leeson: they could not but agree admirably, sincethat SUPERCILIOUS young lady seems determined never to speak, andthe VOLUBLE Miss Larolles never to be silent. Were each to borrowsomething of the other, how greatly would both be the better!"

"The composition would still be a sorry one, " answered Mr Gosport, "for I believe they are equally weak, and equally ignorant; the onlydifference is, that one, though silly, is quick, the other, thoughdeliberate, is stupid. Upon a short acquaintance, that heavinesswhich leaves to others the whole weight of discourse, and wholesearch of entertainment, is the most fatiguing, but, upon a longerintimacy, even that is less irksome and less offensive, than theflippancy which hears nothing but itself. "

Mrs Harrel arose now to depart, and Cecilia, not more tired of thebeginning of the evening than entertained with its conclusion, washanded to the carriage by Mr Arnott. 

CHAPTER vi

A BREAKFAST. 

The next morning, during breakfast, a servant acquainted Ceciliathat a young gentleman was in the hall, who begged to speak withher. She desired he might be admitted; and Mrs Harrel, laughing, asked if she ought not to quit the room; while Mr Arnott, with evenmore than his usual gravity, directed his eye towards the door towatch who should enter. 

Neither of them, however, received any satisfaction when it wasopened, for the gentleman who made his appearance was unknown toboth: but great was the amazement of Cecilia, though little heremotion, when she saw Mr Morrice!

He came forward with an air of the most profound respect for thecompany in general, and obsequiously advancing to Cecilia, made anearnest enquiry into her health after her journey, and hoped she hadheard good news from her friends in the country. 

Mrs Harrel, naturally concluding both from his visit and behaviour, that he was an acquaintance of some intimacy, very civilly offeredhim a seat and some breakfast, which, very frankly, he accepted. ButMr Arnott, who already felt the anxiety of a rising passion whichwas too full of veneration to be sanguine, looked at him withuneasiness, and waited his departure with impatience. 

Cecilia began to imagine he had been commissioned to call upon herwith some message from Mr Monckton: for she knew not how to supposethat merely and accidentally having spent an hour or two in the sameroom with her, would authorize a visiting acquaintance. Mr Morrice, however, had a faculty the most happy of reconciling his pretensionsto his inclination; and therefore she soon found that the pretenceshe had suggested appeared to him unnecessary. To lead, however, tothe subject from which she expected his excuse, she enquired howlong he had left Suffolk?

"But yesterday noon, ma'am, " he answered, "or I should certainlyhave taken the liberty to wait upon you before. "

Cecilia, who had only been perplexing herself to devise some reasonwhy he came at all, now looked at him with a grave surprize, whichwould totally have abashed a man whose courage had been less, orwhose expectations had been greater; but Mr Morrice, though he hadhazarded every danger upon the slightest chance of hope, knew toowell the weakness of his claims to be confident of success, and hadbeen too familiar with rebuffs to be much hurt by receiving them. Hemight possibly have something to gain, but he knew he had nothing tolose. 

"I had the pleasure, " he continued, "to leave all our friends well, except poor Lady Margaret, and she has had an attack of the asthma;yet she would not have a physician, though Mr Monckton would fainhave persuaded her: however, I believe the old lady knows betterthings. " And he looked archly at Cecilia: but perceiving that theinsinuation gave her nothing but disgust, he changed his tone, andadded, "It is amazing how well they live together; nobody wouldimagine the disparity in their years. Poor old lady! Mr Moncktonwill really have a great loss of her when she dies. "

"A loss of her!" repeated Mrs Harrel, "I am sure she is an exceedingill-natured old woman. When I lived at Bury, I was always frightenedout of my wits at the sight of her. "

"Why indeed, ma'am, " said Morrice, "I must own her appearance israther against her: I had myself a great aversion to her at firstsight. But the house is chearful, --very chearful; I like to spend afew days there now and then of all things. Miss Bennet, too, isagreeable enough, and----"

"Miss Bennet agreeable!" cried Mrs Harrel, "I think she's the mostodious creature I ever knew in my life; a nasty, spiteful old maid!"

"Why indeed, ma'am, as you say, " answered Morrice, "she is not veryyoung; and as to her temper, I confess I know very little about it;and Mr Monckton is likely enough to try it, for he is prettysevere. "

"Mr Monckton, " cried Cecilia, extremely provoked at hearing himcensured by a man she thought highly honoured in being permitted toapproach him, "whenever _I_ have been his guest, has meritedfrom me nothing but praise and gratitude. "

"O, " cried Morrice, eagerly, "there is not a more worthy man in theworld! he has so much wit, so much politeness! I don't know a morecharming man anywhere than my friend Mr Monckton. " Cecilia nowperceiving that the opinions of her new acquaintance were as pliantas his bows, determined to pay him no further attention, and hopedby sitting silent to force from him the business of his visit, ifany he had, or if, as she now suspected, he had none, to weary himinto a retreat. 

But this plan, though it would have succeeded with herself, failedwith Mr Morrice, who to a stock of good humour that made him alwaysready to oblige others, added an equal portion of insensibility thathardened him against all indignity. Finding, therefore, thatCecilia, to whom his visit was intended, seemed already satisfiedwith its length, he prudently forbore to torment her; but perceivingthat the lady of the house was more accessible, he quickly made atransfer of his attention, and addressed his discourse to her withas much pleasure as if his only view had been to see her, and asmuch ease as if he had known her all his life. 

With Mrs Harrel this conduct was not injudicious; she was pleasedwith his assiduity, amused with his vivacity, and sufficientlysatisfied with his understanding. They conversed, therefore, uponpretty equal terms, and neither of them were yet tired, when theywere interrupted by Mr Harrel, who came into the room, to ask ifthey had seen or heard any thing of Sir Robert Floyer?

"No, " answered Mrs Harrel, "nothing at all. "

"I wish he was hanged, " returned he, "for he has kept me waitingthis hour. He made me promise not to ride out till he called and nowhe'll stay till the morning is over. "

"Pray where does he live, sir?" cried Morrice, starting from hisseat. 

"In Cavendish Square, sir, " answered Mr Harrel, looking at him withmuch surprise. 

Not a word more said Morrice, but scampered out of the room. 

"Pray who is this Genius?" cried Mr Harrel, "and what has he runaway for?"

"Upon my word I know nothing at all of him, " said Mrs Harrel; "he isa visitor of Miss Beverley's. "

"And I, too, " said Cecilia, "might almost equally disclaim allknowledge of him; for though I once saw, I never was introduced tohim. "

She then began a relation of her meeting him at Mr Monckton's house, and had hardly concluded it, before again, and quite out of breath, he made his appearance. 

"Sir Robert Floyer, sir, " said he to Mr Harrel, "will be here in twominutes. "

"I hope, sir, " said Mr Harrel, "you have not given yourself thetrouble of going to him?"

"No, sir, it has given me nothing but pleasure; a run these coldmornings is the thing I like best. "

"Sir, you are extremely good, " said Mr Harrel, "but I had not theleast intention of your taking such a walk upon my account. "

He then begged him to be seated, to rest himself, and to take somerefreshment; which civilities he received without scruple. 

"But, Miss Beverley, " said Mr Harrel, turning suddenly to Cecilia, "you don't tell me what you think of my friend?"

"What friend, sir?"

"Why, Sir Robert Floyer; I observed he never quitted you a momentwhile he stayed at Mrs Mears. "

"His stay, however, was too short, " said Cecilia, "to allow me toform a fair opinion of him. "

"But perhaps, " cried Morrice, " it was long enough to allow you toform a _foul_ one. "

Cecilia could not forbear laughing to hear the truth thusaccidentally blundered out; but Mr Harrel, looking very littlepleased, said, "Surely you can find no fault with him? he is one ofthe most fashionable men I know. "

"My finding fault with him then, " said Cecilia, "will only fartherprove what I believe is already pretty evident, that I am yet anovice in the art of admiration. "

Mr Arnott, animating at this speech, glided behind her chair, andsaid, "I knew you could not like him! I knew it from the turn ofyour mind;--I knew it even from your countenance!"

Soon after, Sir Robert Floyer arrived. 

"You are a pretty fellow, a'n't you, " cried Mr Harrel, "to keep mewaiting so long. "

"I could not come a moment sooner; I hardly expected to get here atall, for my horse has been so confounded resty I could not tell howto get him along. "

"Do you come on horseback through the streets, Sir Robert?" askedMrs Harrel. 

"Sometimes; when I am lazy. But what the d---l is the matter withhim I don't know; he has started at everything. I suspect there hasbeen some foul play with him. "

"Is he at the door, sir?" cried Morrice. 

"Yes, " answered Sir Robert. 

"Then I'll tell you what's the matter with him in a minute;" andaway again ran Morrice. 

"What time did you get off last night, Harrel?" said Sir Robert. 

"Not very early; but you were too much engaged to miss me. By theway, " lowering his voice, "what do you think I lost?"

"I can't tell indeed, but I know what I gained: I have not had sucha run of luck this winter. "

They then went up to a window to carry on their enquiries moreprivately. 

At the words _what do you think I lost_, Cecilia, halfstarting, cast her eyes uneasily upon Mrs Harrel, but perceived notthe least change in her countenance. Mr Arnott, however, seemed aslittle pleased as herself, and from a similar sensation lookedanxiously at his sister. 

Morrice now returning, called out, "He's had a fall, I assure you!"

"Curse him!" cried Sir Robert, "what shall I do now? he cost me thed---l and all of money, and I have not had him a twelvemonth. Canyou lend me a horse for this morning, Harrel?"

"No, I have not one that will do for you. You must send to Astley. "

"Who can I send? John must take care of this. "

"I'll go, sir, " cried Morrice, "if you'll give me the commission. "

"By no means, sir, " said Sir Robert, "I can't think of giving yousuch an office. "

"It is the thing in the world I like best, " answered he; "Iunderstand horses, and had rather go to Astley's than any where. "

The matter was now settled in a few minutes, and having received hisdirections, and an invitation to dinner, Morrice danced off, with aheart yet lighter than his heels. 

"Why, Miss Beverley, " said Mr Harrel, "this friend of yours is themost obliging gentleman I ever met with; there was no avoidingasking him to dinner. "

"Remember, however, " said Cecilia, who was involuntarily diverted atthe successful officiousness of her new acquaintance, "that if youreceive him henceforth as your guest, he obtains admission throughhis own merits, and not through my interest. "

At dinner, Morrice, who failed not to accept the invitation of MrHarrel, was the gayest, and indeed the happiest man in the company:the effort he had made to fasten himself upon Cecilia as anacquaintance, had not, it is true, from herself met with muchencouragement; but he knew the chances were against him when he madethe trial, and therefore the prospect of gaining admission into sucha house as Mr Harrel's, was not only sufficient to make amends forwhat scarcely amounted to a disappointment, but a subject of seriouscomfort from the credit of the connection, and of internalexultation at his own management and address. 

In the evening, the ladies, as usual, went to a private assembly, and, as usual, were attended to it by Mr Arnott. The other gentlemenhad engagements elsewhere. 

CHAPTER vii

A PROJECT. 

Several days passed on nearly in the same manner; the mornings wereall spent in gossipping, shopping and dressing, and the eveningswere regularly appropriated to public places, or large parties ofcompany. 

Meanwhile Mr Arnott lived almost entirely in Portman Square; heslept, indeed, at his own lodgings, but he boarded wholly with MrHarrel, whose house he never for a moment quitted till night, exceptto attend Cecilia and his sister in their visitings and rambles. 

Mr Arnott was a young man of unexceptionable character, and of adisposition mild, serious and benignant: his principles andblameless conduct obtained the universal esteem of the world, buthis manners, which were rather too precise, joined to an uncommongravity of countenance and demeanour, made his society ratherpermitted as a duty, than sought as a pleasure. 

The charms of Cecilia had forcibly, suddenly and deeply penetratedhis heart; he only lived in her presence, away from her he hardlyexisted: the emotions she excited were rather those of adorationthan of love, for he gazed upon her beauty till he thought her morethan human, and hung upon her accents till all speech seemedimpertinent to him but her own. Yet so small were his expectationsof success, that not even to his sister did he hint at the situationof his heart: happy in an easy access to her, he contented himselfwith seeing, hearing and watching her, beyond which bounds he formednot any plan, and scarce indulged any hope. 

Sir Robert Floyer, too, was a frequent visitor in Portman Square, where he dined almost daily. Cecilia was chagrined at seeing so muchof him, and provoked to find herself almost constantly the object ofhis unrestrained examination; she was, however, far more seriouslyconcerned for Mrs Harrel, when she discovered that this favouritefriend of her husband was an unprincipled spendthrift, and anextravagant gamester, for as he was the inseparable companion of MrHarrel, she dreaded the consequence both of his influence and hisexample. 

She saw, too, with an amazement that daily increased, the fatigue, yet fascination of a life of pleasure: Mr Harrel seemed to considerhis own house merely as an hotel, where at any hour of the night hemight disturb the family to claim admittance, where letters andmessages might be left for him, where he dined when no other dinnerwas offered him, and where, when he made an appointment, he was tobe met with. His lady, too, though more at home, was not thereforemore solitary; her acquaintance were numerous, expensive and idle, and every moment not actually spent in company, was scrupulouslydevoted to making arrangements for that purpose. 

In a short time Cecilia, who every day had hoped that the next wouldafford her greater satisfaction, but who every day found the presentno better than the former, began to grow weary of eternally runningthe same round, and to sicken at the irksome repetition ofunremitting yet uninteresting dissipation. She saw nobody she wishedto see, as she had met with nobody for whom she could care; forthough sometimes those with whom she mixed appeared to be amiable, she knew that their manners, like their persons, were in their bestarray, and therefore she had too much understanding to judgedecisively of their characters. But what chiefly damped her hopes offorming a friendship with any of the new acquaintance to whom shewas introduced, was the observation she herself made how ill thecoldness of their hearts accorded with the warmth of theirprofessions; upon every first meeting, the civilities which wereshewn her, flattered her into believing she had excited a partialitythat a very little time would ripen into affection; the next meetingcommonly confirmed the expectation; but the third, and every futureone, regularly destroyed it. She found that time added nothing totheir fondness, nor intimacy to their sincerity; that the interestin her welfare which appeared to be taken at first sight, seldom, with whatever reason, increased, and often without any, abated; thatthe distinction she at first met with, was no effusion of kindness, but of curiosity, which is scarcely sooner gratified than satiated;and that those who lived always the life into which she had onlylately been initiated, were as much harassed with it as herself, though less spirited to relinquish, and more helpless to better it, and that they coveted nothing but what was new, because they hadexperienced the insufficiency of whatever was familiar. 

She began now to regret the loss she sustained in quitting theneighbourhood, and being deprived of the conversation of MrMonckton, and yet more earnestly to miss the affection and sigh forthe society of Mrs Charlton, the lady with whom she had long andhappily resided at Bury; for she was very soon compelled to give upall expectation of renewing the felicity of her earlier years, bybeing restored to the friendship of Mrs Harrel, in whom she hadmistaken the kindness of childish intimacy for the sincerity ofchosen affection; and though she saw her credulous error withmortification and displeasure, she regretted it with tenderness andsorrow. "What, at last, " cried she, "is human felicity, who hastasted, and where is it to be found? If I, who, to others, seemmarked out for even a partial possession of it, --distinguished byfortune, caressed by the world, brought into the circle of highlife, and surrounded with splendour, seek without finding it, yetlosing, scarce know how I miss it!"

Ashamed upon reflection to believe she was considered as an objectof envy by others, while repining and discontented herself, shedetermined no longer to be the only one insensible to the blessingswithin her reach, but by projecting and adopting some plan ofconduct better suited to her taste and feelings than the frivolousinsipidity of her present life, to make at once a more spirited andmore worthy use of the affluence, freedom, and power which shepossessed. 

A scheme of happiness at once rational and refined soon presenteditself to her imagination. She purposed, for the basis of her plan, to become mistress of her own time, and with this view, to drop allidle and uninteresting acquaintance, who, while they contributeneither to use nor pleasure, make so large a part of the community, that they may properly be called the underminers of existence; shecould then shew some taste and discernment in her choice of friends, and she resolved to select such only as by their piety could elevateher mind, by their knowledge improve her understanding, or by theiraccomplishments and manners delight her affections. This regulation, if strictly adhered to, would soon relieve her from the fatigue ofreceiving many visitors, and therefore she might have all theleisure she could desire for the pursuit of her favourite studies, music and reading. 

Having thus, from her own estimation of human perfection, culledwhatever was noblest for her society, and from her own ideas ofsedentary enjoyments arranged the occupations of her hours ofsolitude, she felt fully satisfied with the portion of happinesswhich her scheme promised to herself, and began next to considerwhat was due from her to the world. 

And not without trembling did she then look forward to the claimswhich the splendid income she was soon to possess would call uponher to discharge. A strong sense of DUTY, a fervent desire to ACTRIGHT, were the ruling characteristics of her mind: her affluenceshe therefore considered as a debt contracted with the poor, and herindependence as a tie upon her liberality to pay it with interest. 

Many and various, then, soothing to her spirit and grateful to hersensibility, were the scenes which her fancy delineated; now shesupported an orphan, now softened the sorrows of a widow, nowsnatched from iniquity the feeble trembler at poverty, and nowrescued from shame the proud struggler with disgrace. The prospectat once exalted her hopes, and enraptured her imagination; sheregarded herself as an agent of Charity, and already in ideaanticipated the rewards of a good and faithful delegate; soanimating are the designs of disinterested benevolence! so pure isthe bliss of intellectual philanthropy!

Not immediately, however, could this plan be put in execution; thesociety she meant to form could not be selected in the house ofanother, where, though to some she might shew a preference, therewere none she could reject: nor had she yet the power to indulge, according to the munificence of her wishes, the extensive generosityshe projected: these purposes demanded a house of her own, and theunlimited disposal of her fortune, neither of which she could claimtill she became of age. That period, however, was only eight monthsdistant, and she pleased herself with the intention of melioratingher plan in the meantime, and preparing to put it in practice. 

But though, in common with all the race of still-expecting man, shelooked for that happiness in the time to come which the presentfailed to afford, she had yet the spirit and good sense to determineupon making every effort in her power to render her immediate way oflife more useful and contented. 

Her first wish, therefore, now, was to quit the house of Mr Harrel, where she neither met with entertainment nor instruction, but wasperpetually mortified by seeing the total indifference of the friendin whose society she had hoped for nothing but affection. 

The will of her uncle, though it obliged her while under age to livewith one of her guardians, left her at liberty to chuse and tochange amongst them according to her wishes or convenience: shedetermined, therefore, to make a visit herself to each of them, toobserve their manners and way of life, and then, to the best of herjudgment, decide with which she could be most contented: resolving, however, not to hint at her intention till it was ripe forexecution, and then honestly to confess the reasons of her retreat. 

She had acquainted them both of her journey to town the morningafter her arrival. She was almost an entire stranger to each ofthem, as she had not seen Mr Briggs since she was nine years old, nor Mr Delvile within the time she could remember. 

The very morning that she had settled her proceedings for thearrangement of this new plan, she intended to request the use of MrsHarrel's carriage, and to make, without delay, the visitspreparatory to her removal; but when she entered the parlour upon asummons to breakfast, her eagerness to quit the house gave way, forthe present, to the pleasure she felt at the sight of Mr Monckton, who was just arrived from Suffolk. 

She expressed her satisfaction in the most lively terms, andscrupled not to tell him she had not once been so much pleased sinceher journey to town, except at her first meeting with Mrs Harrel. 

Mr Monckton, whose delight was infinitely superior to her own, andwhose joy in seeing her was redoubled by the affectionate franknessof her reception, stifled the emotions to which her sight gave rise, and denying himself the solace of expressing his feelings, seemedmuch less charmed than herself at the meeting, and suffered no wordnor look to escape him beyond what could be authorised by friendlycivility. 

He then renewed with Mrs Harrel an acquaintance which had beenformed before her marriage, but which [he] had dropt when herdistance from Cecilia, upon whose account alone he had thought itworth cultivation, made it no longer of use to him. She afterwardsintroduced her brother to him; and a conversation very interestingto both the ladies took place, concerning several families withwhich they had been formerly connected, as well as the neighbourhoodat large in which they had lately dwelt. 

Very little was the share taken by Mr Arnott in these accounts andenquiries; the unaffected joy with which Cecilia had received MrMonckton, had struck him with a sensation of envy as involuntary asit was painful; he did not, indeed, suspect that gentleman's secretviews; no reason for suspicion was obvious, and his penetration sunknot deeper than appearances; he knew, too, that he was married, andtherefore no jealousy occurred to him; but still she had smiled uponhim!--and he felt that to purchase for himself a smile of so muchsweetness, he would have sacrificed almost all else that wasvaluable to him upon earth. 

With an attention infinitely more accurate, Mr Monckton had returnedhis observations. The uneasiness of his mind was apparent, and theanxious watchfulness of his eyes plainly manifested whence it arose. From a situation, indeed, which permitted an intercourse the mostconstant and unrestrained with such an object as Cecilia, nothingless could be expected, and therefore he considered his admirationas inevitable; all that remained to be discovered, was the receptionit had met from his fair enslaver. Nor was he here long in doubt; hesoon saw that she was not merely free from all passion herself, buthad so little watched Mr Arnott as to be unconscious she hadinspired any. 

Yet was his own serenity, though apparently unmoved, little lessdisturbed in secret than that of his rival; he did not think him aformidable candidate, but he dreaded the effects of intimacy, fearing she might first grow accustomed to his attentions, and thenbecome pleased with them. He apprehended, also, the influence of hissister and of Mr Harrel in his favour; and though he had nodifficulty to persuade himself that any offer he might now makewould be rejected without hesitation, he knew too well the insidiousproperties of perseverance, to see him, without inquietude, situatedso advantageously. 

The morning was far advanced before he took leave, yet he found noopportunity of discoursing with Cecilia, though he impatientlydesired to examine into the state of her mind, and to discoverwhether her London journey had added any fresh difficulties to thesuccess of his long-concerted scheme. But as Mrs Harrel invited himto dinner, he hoped the afternoon would be more propitious to hiswishes. 

Cecilia, too, was eager to communicate to him her favourite project, and to receive his advice with respect to its execution. She hadlong been used to his counsel, and she was now more than eversolicitous to obtain it, because she considered him as the onlyperson in London who was interested in her welfare. 

He saw, however, no promise of better success when he made hisappearance at dinner time, for not only Mr Arnott was alreadyarrived, but Sir Robert Floyer, and he found Cecilia so much theobject of their mutual attention, that he had still less chance thanin the morning of speaking to her unheard. 

Yet was he not idle; the sight of Sir Robert gave abundantemployment to his penetration, which was immediately at work, todiscover the motive of his visit: but this, with all his sagacity, was not easily decided; for though the constant direction of hiseyes towards Cecilia, proved, at least, that he was not insensibleof her beauty, his carelessness whether or not she was hurt by hisexamination, the little pains he took to converse with her, and theinvariable assurance and negligence of his manners, seemed stronglyto demonstrate an indifference to the sentiments he inspired, totally incompatible with the solicitude of affection. 

In Cecilia he had nothing to observe but what his knowledge of hercharacter prepared him to expect, a shame no less indignant thanmodest at the freedom with which she saw herself surveyed. 

Very little, therefore, was the satisfaction which this visitprocured him, for soon after dinner the ladies retired; and as theyhad an early engagement for the evening, the gentlemen received nosummons to their tea-table. But he contrived, before they quittedthe room, to make an appointment for attending them the next morningto a rehearsal of a new serious Opera. 

He stayed not after their departure longer than decency required, for too much in earnest was his present pursuit, to fit him for suchconversation as the house in Cecilia's absence could afford him. 

CHAPTER viii

AN OPERA REHEARSAL. 

The next day, between eleven and twelve o'clock, Mr Monckton wasagain in Portman Square; he found, as he expected, both the ladies, and he found, as he feared, Mr Arnott prepared to be of their party. He had, however, but little time to repine at this intrusion, beforehe was disturbed by another, for, in a few minutes, they were joinedby Sir Robert Floyer, who also declared his intention ofaccompanying them to the Haymarket. 

Mr Monckton, to disguise his chagrin, pretended he was in greathaste to set off, lest they should be too late for the overture:they were, therefore, quitting the breakfast room, when they werestopt by the appearance of Mr Morrice. 

The surprise which the sight of him gave to Mr Monckton was extreme;he knew that he was unacquainted with Mr Harrel, for he rememberedthey were strangers to each other when they lately met at his house;he concluded, therefore, that Cecilia was the object of his visit, but he could frame no conjecture under what pretence. 

The easy terms upon which he seemed with all the family by no meansdiminished his amazement; for when Mrs Harrel expressed some concernthat she was obliged to go out, he gaily begged her not to mind him, assuring her he could not have stayed two minutes, and promising, unasked, to call again the next day: and when she added, "We wouldnot hurry away so, only we are going to a rehearsal of an Opera, " heexclaimed with quickness, "A rehearsal!--are you really? I have agreat mind to go too!"

Then, perceiving Mr Monckton, he bowed to him with great respect, and enquired, with no little solemnity, how he had left LadyMargaret, hoped she was perfectly recovered from her lateindisposition, and asked sundry questions with regard to her planfor the winter. 

This discourse was ill constructed for rendering his presencedesirable to Mr Monckton; he answered him very drily, and againpressed their departure. 

"O, " cried Morrice, "there's no occasion for such haste; therehearsal does not begin till one. "

"You are mistaken, sir, " said Mr Monckton; "it is to begin at twelveo'clock. "

"O ay, very true, " returned Morrice; "I had forgot the dances, and Isuppose they are to be rehearsed first. Pray, Miss Beverley, did youever see any dances rehearsed?"

"No, sir. "

"You will be excessively entertained, then, I assure you. It's themost comical thing in the world to see those signores and signorascutting capers in a morning. And the _figuranti_ will divertyou beyond measure; you never saw such a shabby set in your life:but the most amusing thing is to look in their faces, for all thetime they are jumping and skipping about the stage as if they couldnot stand still for joy, they look as sedate and as dismal as ifthey were so many undertaker's men. "

"Not a word against dancing!" cried Sir Robert, "it's the only thingcarries one to the Opera; and I am sure it's the only thing oneminds at it. "

The two ladies were then handed to Mrs Harrel's _vis-a-vis_;and the gentlemen, joined without further ceremony by Mr Morrice, followed them to the Haymarket. 

The rehearsal was not begun, and Mrs Harrel and Cecilia securedthemselves a box upon the stage, from which the gentlemen of theirparty took care not to be very distant. 

They were soon perceived by Mr Gosport, who instantly entered intoconversation with Cecilia. Miss Larolles, who with some other ladiescame soon after into the next box, looked out to courtsie and nod, with her usual readiness, at Mrs Harrel, but took not any notice ofCecilia, though she made the first advances. 

"What's the matter now?" cried Mr Gosport; "have you affronted yourlittle prattling friend?"

"Not with my own knowledge, " answered Cecilia; "perhaps she does notrecollect me. "

Just then Miss Larolles, tapping at the door, came in from the nextbox to speak to Mrs Harrel; with whom she stood chatting andlaughing some minutes, without seeming to perceive that Cecilia wasof her party. 

"Why, what have you done to the poor girl?" whispered Mr Gosport;"did you talk more than herself when you saw her last?"

"Would that have been possible?" cried Cecilia; "however, I stillfancy she does not know me. "

She then stood up, which making Miss Larolles involuntarily turntowards her, she again courtsied; a civility which that young ladyscarce deigned to return, before, bridling with an air ofresentment, she hastily looked another way, and then, nodding good-humouredly at Mrs Harrel, hurried back to her party. 

Cecilia, much amazed, said to Mr Gosport, "See now how great was ourpresumption in supposing this young lady's loquacity always at ourdevotion!"

"Ah, madam!" cried he, laughing, "there is no permanency, noconsistency in the world! no, not even in the tongue of a VOLUBLE!and if that fails, upon what may we depend?"

"But seriously, " said Cecilia, "I am sorry I have offended her, andthe more because I so little know how, that I can offer her noapology. "

"Will you appoint me your envoy? Shall I demand the cause of thesehostilities?"

She thanked him, and he followed Miss Larolles; who was nowaddressing herself with great earnestness to Mr Meadows, thegentleman with whom she was conversing when Cecilia first saw her inPortman Square. He stopt a moment to let her finish her speech, which, with no little spirit, she did in these words, "I never knewanything like it in my life; but I shan't put up with such airs, Iassure her!"

Mr Meadows made not any other return to her harangue, but stretchinghimself with a languid smile, and yawning: Mr Gosport, therefore, seizing the moment of cessation, said, "Miss Larolles, I hear astrange report about you. "

"Do you?" returned she, with quickness, "pray what is it? somethingmonstrous impertinent, I dare say, ---however, I assure you it i'n'ttrue. "

"Your assurance, " cried he, "carries conviction indisputable, forthe report was that you had left off talking. "

"O, was that all?" cried she, disappointed, "I thought it had beensomething about Mr Sawyer, for I declare I have been plagued soabout him, I am quite sick of his name. "

"And for my part, I never heard it! so fear nothing from me upon hisaccount. "

"Lord, Mr Gosport, how can you say so? I am sure you must know aboutthe Festino that night, for it was all over the town in a moment. "

"What festino?"

"Well, only conceive, how provoking!--why, I know nothing else wastalked of for a month!"

"You are most formidably stout this morning! it is not two minutessince I saw you fling the gauntlet at Miss Beverley, and yet you arealready prepared for another antagonist. "

"O as to Miss Beverley, I must really beg you not to mention her;she has behaved so impertinently, that I don't intend ever to speakto her again. "

"Why, what has she done?"

"O she's been so rude you've no notion. I'll tell you how it was. You must know I met her at Mrs Barrel's the day she came to town, and the very next morning I waited on her myself, for I would notsend a ticket, because I really wished to be civil to her; well, theday after, she never came near me, though I called upon her again;however, I did not take any notice of that; but when the third daycame, and I found she had not even sent me a ticket, I thought itmonstrous ill bred indeed; and now there has passed more than aweek, and yet she has never called: so I suppose she don't like me;so I shall drop her acquaintance. "

Mr Gosport, satisfied now with the subject of her complaint, returned to Cecilia, and informed her of the heavy charge which wasbrought against her. 

"I am glad, at least, to know my crime, " said she, "for otherwise Ishould certainly have sinned on in ignorance, as I must confess Inever thought of returning her visits: but even if I had, I shouldnot have supposed I had yet lost much time. "

"I beg your pardon there, " said Mrs Harrel; "a first visit ought tobe returned always by the third day. "

"Then have I an unanswerable excuse, " said Cecilia, "for I rememberthat on the third day I saw her at your house. "

"O that's nothing at all to the purpose; you should have waited uponher, or sent her a ticket, just the same as if you had not seenher. "

The overture was now begun, and Cecilia declined any furtherconversation. This was the first Opera she had ever heard, yet shewas not wholly a stranger to Italian compositions, havingassiduously studied music from a natural love of the art, attendedall the best concerts her neighbourhood afforded, and regularlyreceived from London the works of the best masters. But the littleskill she had thus gained, served rather to increase than to lessenthe surprize with which she heard the present performance, --asurprize of which the discovery of her own ignorance made not theleast part. Unconscious from the little she had acquired how muchwas to be learnt, she was astonished to find the inadequate power ofwritten music to convey any idea of vocal abilities: with justknowledge enough, therefore, to understand something of thedifficulties, and feel much of the merit, she gave to the wholeOpera an avidity of attention almost painful from its own eagerness. 

But both the surprize and the pleasure which she received from theperformance in general, were faint, cold, and languid, compared tothe strength of those emotions when excited by Signore Pacchierottiin particular; and though not half the excellencies of that superiorsinger were necessary either to amaze or charm her unaccustomedears, though the refinement of his taste and masterly originality ofhis genius, to be praised as they deserved, called for the judgmentand knowledge of professors, yet a natural love of music in somemeasure supplied the place of cultivation, and what she couldneither explain nor understand, she could feel and enjoy. 

The opera was Artaserse; and the pleasure she received from themusic was much augmented by her previous acquaintance with thatinteresting drama; yet, as to all noviciates in science, whatever isleast complicated is most pleasing, she found herself by nothing sodeeply impressed, as by the plaintive and beautiful simplicity withwhich Pacchierotti uttered the affecting repetition of _sonoinnocente_! his voice, always either sweet or impassioned, delivered those words in a tone of softness, pathos, andsensibility, that struck her with a sensation not more new thandelightful. 

But though she was, perhaps, the only person thus astonished, shewas by no means the only one enraptured; for notwithstanding she wastoo earnestly engaged to remark the company in general, she couldnot avoid taking notice of an old gentleman who stood by one of theside scenes, against which he leant his head in a manner thatconcealed his face, with an evident design to be wholly absorbed inlistening: and during the songs of Pacchierotti he sighed so deeplythat Cecilia, struck by his uncommon sensibility to the power ofmusic, involuntarily watched him, whenever her mind was sufficientlyat liberty to attend to any emotions but its own. 

As soon as the rehearsal was over, the gentlemen of Mrs Harrel'sparty crowded before her box; and Cecilia then perceived that theperson whose musical enthusiasm had excited her curiosity, was thesame old gentleman whose extraordinary behaviour had so muchsurprized her at the house of Mr Monckton. Her desire to obtain someinformation concerning him again reviving, she was beginning to makefresh enquiries, when she was interrupted by the approach of CaptainAresby. 

That gentleman, advancing to her with a smile of the extremest self-complacency, after hoping, in a low voice, he had the honour ofseeing her well, exclaimed, "How wretchedly empty is the town!petrifying to a degree! I believe you do not find yourself atpresent _obsede_ by too much company?"

"_At present_, I believe the contrary!" cried Mr Gosport. 

"Really!" said the Captain, unsuspicious of his sneer, "I protest Ihave hardly seen a soul. Have you tried the Pantheon yet, ma'am?"

"No, sir. "

"Nor I; I don't know whether people go there this year. It is not afavourite _spectacle_ with me; that sitting to hear the musicis a horrid bore. Have you done the Festino the honour to look inthere yet?"

"No, sir. "

"Permit me, then, to have the honour to beg you will try it. "

"O, ay, true, " cried Mrs Harrel; "I have really used you very illabout that; I should have got you in for a subscriber: but Lord, Ihave done nothing for you yet, and you never put me in mind. There'sthe ancient music, and Abel's concert;--as to the opera, we may havea box between us;--but there's the ladies' concert we must try for;and there's--O Lord, fifty other places we must think of!"

"Oh times of folly and dissipation!" exclaimed a voice at somedistance; "Oh mignons of idleness and luxury! What next will yeinvent for the perdition of your time! How yet further will yeproceed in the annihilation of virtue!"

Everybody stared; but Mrs Harrel coolly said, "Dear, it's only theman-hater!"

"The man-hater?" repeated Cecilia, who found that the speech wasmade by the object of her former curiosity; "is that the name bywhich he is known?"

"He is known by fifty names, " said Mr Monckton; "his friends callhim the _moralist_; the young ladies, the _crazy-man_; themacaronies, the _bore_; in short, he is called by any and everyname but his own. "

"He is a most petrifying wretch, I assure you, " said the Captain; "Iam _obsede_ by him _partout_; if I had known he had beenso near, I should certainly have said nothing. "

"That you have done so well, " cried Mr Gosport, "that if you hadknown it the whole time, you could have done it no better. "

The Captain, who had not heard this speech, which was rather made athim than to him, continued his address to Cecilia; "Give me leave tohave the honour of hoping you intend to honour our select masqueradeat the Pantheon with your presence. We shall have but five hundredtickets, and the subscription will only be three guineas and ahalf. "

"Oh objects of penury and want!" again exclaimed the incognito; "Ohvassals of famine and distress! Come and listen to this wantonnessof wealth! Come, naked and breadless as ye are, and learn how thatmoney is consumed which to you might bring raiment and food!"

"That strange wretch, " said the Captain, "ought really to beconfined; I have had the honour to be _degoute_ by him sooften, that I think him quite obnoxious. I make it quite a principleto seal up my lips the moment I perceive him. "

"Where is it, then, " said Cecilia, "that you have so often met him?"

"O, " answered the Captain, "_partout_; there is no greater boreabout town. But the time I found him most petrifying was once when Ihappened to have the honour of dancing with a very young lady, whowas but just come from a boarding-school, and whose friends had doneme the honour to fix upon me upon the principle of first bringingher out: and while I was doing _mon possible_ for killing thetime, he came up, and in his particular manner, told her I had nomeaning in any thing I said! I must own I never felt more tempted tobe _enrage_ with a person in years, in my life. "

Mr Arnott now brought the ladies word that their carriage was ready, and they quitted their box: but as Cecilia had never before seen theinterior parts of a theatre, Mr Monckton, hoping while they loiteredto have an opportunity of talking with her, asked Morrice why he didnot _shew the lions?_ Morrice, always happy in being employed, declared it was _just the thing he liked best_, and beggedpermission to do the honours to Mrs Harrel, who, ever eager in thesearch of amusement, willingly accepted his offer. 

They all, therefore, marched upon the stage, their own party nowbeing the only one that remained. 

"We shall make a triumphal entry here, " cried Sir Robert Floyer;"the very tread of the stage half tempts me to turn actor. "

"You are a rare man, " said Mr Gosport, "if, at your time of life, that is a turn not already taken. "

"My time of life!" repeated he; "what do you mean by that? do youtake me for an old man?"

"No, sir, but I take you to be past childhood, and consequently tohave served your apprenticeship to the actors you have mixed with onthe great stage of the world, and, for some years at least, to haveset up for yourself. "

"Come, " cried Morrice, "let's have a little spouting; 'twill make uswarm. "

"Yes, " said Sir Robert, "if we spout to an animating object. If MissBeverley will be Juliet, I am Romeo at her service. "

At this moment the incognito, quitting the corner in which he hadplanted himself, came suddenly forward, and standing before thewhole group, cast upon Cecilia a look of much compassion, and calledout, "Poor simple victim! hast thou already so many pursuers? yetseest not that thou art marked for sacrifice! yet knowest not thatthou art destined for prey!"

Cecilia, extremely struck by this extraordinary address, stopt shortand looked much disturbed: which, when he perceived, he added, "Letthe danger, not the warning affect you! discard the sycophants thatsurround you, seek the virtuous, relieve the poor, and save yourselffrom the impending destruction of unfeeling prosperity!"

Having uttered these words with vehemence and authority, he sternlypassed them, and disappeared. 

Cecilia, too much astonished for speech, stood for some timeimmoveable, revolving in her mind various conjectures upon themeaning of an exhortation so strange and so urgent. 

Nor was the rest of the company much less discomposed: Sir Robert, Mr Monckton, and Mr Arnott, each conscious of their own particularplans, were each apprehensive that the warning pointed at himself:Mr Gosport was offended at being included in the general appellationof sycophants; Mrs Harrel was provoked at being interrupted in herramble; and Captain Aresby, sickening at the very sight of him, retreated the moment he came forth. 

"For heaven's sake, " cried Cecilia, when somewhat recovered from herconsternation, "who can this be, and what can he mean? You, MrMonckton, must surely know something of him; it was at your house Ifirst saw him. "

"Indeed, " answered Mr Monckton, "I knew almost nothing of him then, and I am but little better informed now. Belfield picked him upsomewhere, and desired to bring him to my house: he called him bythe name of Albany: I found him a most extraordinary character, andBelfield, who is a worshipper of originality, was very fond of him. "

"He's a devilish crabbed old fellow, " cried Sir Robert, "and if hegoes on much longer at this confounded rate, he stands a very fairchance of getting his ears cropped. "

"He is a man of the most singular conduct I have ever met with, "said Mr Gosport; "he seems to hold mankind in abhorrence, yet he isnever a moment alone, and at the same time that he intrudes himselfinto all parties, he associates with none: he is commonly a sternand silent observer of all that passes, or when he speaks, it is butto utter some sentence of rigid morality, or some bitterness ofindignant reproof. "

The carriage was now again announced, and Mr Monckton takingCecilia's hand, while Mr Morrice secured to himself the honour ofMrs Harrel's, Sir Robert and Mr Gosport made their bows anddeparted. But though they had now quitted the stage, and arrived atthe head of a small stair case by which they were to descend out ofthe theatre, Mr Monckton, finding all his tormentors retired, exceptMr Arnott, whom he hoped to elude, could not resist making one moreattempt for a few moments' conversation with Cecilia; and therefore, again applying to Morrice, he called out, "I don't think you haveshewn the ladies any of the contrivances behind the scenes?"

"True, " cried Morrice, "no more I have; suppose we go back?"

"I shall like it vastly, " said Mrs Harrel; and back they returned. 

Mr Monckton now soon found an opportunity to say to Cecilia, "MissBeverley, what I foresaw has exactly come to pass; you aresurrounded by selfish designers, by interested, double-mindedpeople, who have nothing at heart but your fortune, and whosemercenary views, if you are not guarded against them---"

Here a loud scream from Mrs Harrel interrupted his speech; Cecilia, much alarmed, turned from him to enquire the cause, and Mr Moncktonwas obliged to follow her example: but his mortification was almostintolerable when he saw that lady in a violent fit of laughter, andfound her scream was only occasioned by seeing Mr Morrice, in hisdiligence to do the honours, pull upon his own head one of the sidescenes!

There was now no possibility of proposing any further delay; but MrMonckton, in attending the ladies to their carriage, was obliged tohave recourse to his utmost discretion and forbearance, in order tocheck his desire of reprimanding Morrice for his blunderingofficiousness. 

Dressing, dining with company at home, and then going out withcompany abroad, filled up, as usual, the rest of the day. 

CHAPTER ix

A SUPPLICATION. 

The next morning Cecilia, at the repeated remonstrances of MrsHarrel, consented to call upon Miss Larolles. She felt theimpracticability of beginning at present the alteration in her wayof life she had projected, and therefore thought it most expedientto assume no singularity till her independency should enable her tosupport it with consistency; yet greater than ever was her internaleagerness to better satisfy her inclination and her conscience inthe disposition of her time, and the distribution of her wealth, since she had heard the emphatic charge of her unknown Mentor. 

Mrs Harrel declined accompanying her in this visit, because she hadappointed a surveyor to bring a plan for the inspection of Mr Harreland herself, of a small temporary building, to be erected at Violet-Bank, for the purpose of performing plays in private the ensuingEaster. 

When the street door was opened for her to get into the carriage, she was struck with the appearance of an elderly woman who wasstanding at some distance, and seemed shivering with cold, and who, as she descended the steps, joined her hands in an act ofsupplication, and advanced nearer to the carriage. 

Cecilia stopt to look at her: her dress, though parsimonious, wastoo neat for a beggar, and she considered a moment what she couldoffer her. The poor woman continued to move forward, but with aslowness of pace that indicated extreme weakness; and, as sheapproached and raised her head, she exhibited a countenance sowretched, and a complexion so sickly, that Cecilia was impressedwith horror at the sight. 

With her hands still joined, and a voice that seemed fearful of itsown sound, "Oh madam, " she cried, "that you would but hear me!"

"Hear you!" repeated Cecilia, hastily feeling for her purse; "mostcertainly, and tell me how I shall assist you. "

"Heaven bless you for speaking so kindly, madam!" cried the woman, with a voice more assured; "I was sadly afraid you would be angry, but I saw the carriage at the door, and I thought I would try; for Icould be no worse; and distress, madam, makes very bold. "

"Angry!" said Cecilia, taking a crown from her purse; "no, indeed!--who could see such wretchedness, and feel any thing but pity?"

"Oh madam, " returned the poor woman, "I could almost cry to hear youtalk so, though I never thought to cry again, since I left it offfor my poor Billy!"

"Have you, then, lost a son?"

"Yes, madam; but he was a great deal too good to live, so I havequite left off grieving for him now. "

"Come in, good woman, " said Cecilia, "it is too cold to stand here, and you seem half-starved already: come in, and let me have sometalk with you. "

She then gave orders that the carriage should be driven round thesquare till she was ready, and making the woman follow her into aparlour, desired to know what she should do for her; changing, whileshe spoke, from a movement of encreasing compassion, the crown whichshe held in her hand for double that sum. 

"You can do everything, madam, " she answered, "if you will but pleadfor us to his honour: he little thinks of our distress, because hehas been afflicted with none himself, and I would not be sotroublesome to him, but indeed, indeed, madam, we are quite pinchedfor want!"

Cecilia, struck with the words, _he little thinks of our distress, because he has been afflicted with none himself_, felt againashamed of the smallness of her intended donation, and taking fromher purse another half guinea, said, "Will this assist you? Will aguinea be sufficient to you for the present?"

"I humbly thank you, madam, " said the woman, curtsying low, "shall Igive you a receipt?"

"A receipt?" cried Cecilia, with emotion, "for what? Alas, ouraccounts are by no means balanced! but I shall do more for you if Ifind you as deserving an object as you seem to be. "

"You are very good, madam; but I only meant a receipt in part ofpayment. "

"Payment for what? I don't understand you. "

"Did his honour never tell you, madam, of our account?"

"What account?"

"Our bill, madam, for work done to the new Temple at Violet-Bank: itwas the last great work my poor husband was able to do, for it wasthere he met with his misfortune. "

"What bill? What misfortune?" cried Cecilia; "what had your husbandto do at Violet-Bank?"

"He was the carpenter, madam. I thought you might have seen poorHill the carpenter there. "

"No, I never was there myself. Perhaps you mistake me for MrsHarrel. "

"Why, sure, madam, a'n't you his honour's lady?"

"No. But tell me, what is this bill?"

"'Tis a bill, madam, for very hard work, for work, madam, which I amsure will cost my husband his life; and though I have been after hishonour night and day to get it, and sent him letters and petitionswith an account of our misfortunes, I have never received so much asa shilling! and now the servants won't even let me wait in the hallto speak to him. Oh, madam! you who seem so good, plead to hishonour in our behalf! tell him my poor husband cannot live! tell himmy children are starving! and tell him my poor Billy, that used tohelp to keep us, is dead, and that all the work I can do by myselfis not enough to maintain us!"

"Good heaven!" cried Cecilia, extremely moved, "is it then your ownmoney for which you sue thus humbly?"

"Yes, madam, for my own just and honest money, as his honour knows, and will tell you himself. "

"Impossible!" cried Cecilia, "he cannot know it; but I will takecare he shall soon be informed of it. How much is the bill?"

"Two-and-twenty pounds, madam. "

"What, no more?"

"Ah, madam, you gentlefolks little think how much that is to poorpeople! A hard working family, like mine, madam, with the help of20 pounds will go on for a long while quite in paradise. "

"Poor worthy woman!" cried Cecilia, whose eyes were filled with tearsof compassion, "if 20 pounds will place you in paradise, and that 20pounds only your just right, it is hard, indeed, that you should bekept without it; especially when your debtors are too affluent tomiss it. Stay here a few moments, and I will bring you the moneyimmediately. "

Away she flew, and returned to the breakfast room, but found thereonly Mr Arnott, who told her that Mr Harrel was in the library, withhis sister and some gentlemen. Cecilia briefly related her business, and begged he would inform Mr Harrel she wished to speak to himdirectly. Mr Arnott shook his head, but obeyed. 

They returned together, and immediately. 

"Miss Beverley, " cried Mr Harrel, gaily, "I am glad you are notgone, for we want much to consult with you. Will you come upstairs?"

"Presently, " answered she; "but first I must speak to you about apoor woman with whom I have accidentally been talking, who hasbegged me to intercede with you to pay a little debt that she thinksyou have forgotten, but that probably you have never heardmentioned. "

"A debt?" cried he, with an immediate change of countenance, "towhom?"

"Her name, I think, is Hill; she is wife to the carpenter youemployed about a new temple at Violet-Bank. "

"O, what--what, that woman?--Well, well, I'll see she shall be paid. Come, let us go to the library. "

"What, with my commission so ill executed? I promised to petitionfor her to have the money directly. "

"Pho, pho, there's no such hurry; I don't know what I have done withher bill. "

"I'll run and get another. "

"O upon no account! She may send another in two or three days. Shedeserves to wait a twelvemonth for her impertinence in troubling youat all about it. "

"That was entirely accidental: but indeed you must give me leave toperform my promise and plead for her. It must be almost the same toyou whether you pay such a trifle as 20 pounds now or a month hence, and to this poor woman the difference seems little short of life ordeath, for she tells me her husband is dying, and her children arehalf-famished; and though she looks an object of the cruellest wantand distress herself, she appears to be their only support. "

"O, " cried Mr Harrel, laughing, "what a dismal tale has she beentelling you! no doubt she saw you were fresh from the country! Butif you give credit to all the farragos of these trumpery impostors, you will never have a moment to yourself, nor a guinea in yourpurse. "

"This woman, "' answered Cecilia, "cannot be an impostor, she carriesmarks but too evident and too dreadful in her countenance of thesufferings which she relates. "

"O, " returned he, "when you know the town better you will soon seethrough tricks of this sort; a sick husband and five small childrenare complaints so stale now, that they serve no other purpose in theworld but to make a joke. "

"Those, however, who can laugh at them must have notions ofmerriment very different to mine. And this poor woman, whose cause Ihave ventured to undertake, had she no family at all, must still andindisputably be an object of pity herself, for she is so weak shecan hardly crawl, and so pallid that she seems already half dead. "

"All imposition, depend upon it! The moment she is out of your sighther complaints will vanish. "

"Nay, sir, " cried Cecilia, a little impatiently, "there is no reasonto suspect such deceit, since she does not come hither as a beggar, however well the state of beggary may accord with her poverty: sheonly solicits the payment of a bill, and if in that there is anyfraud, nothing can be so easy as detection. "

Mr Harrel bit his lips at this speech, and for some instants lookedmuch disturbed; but soon recovering himself, he negligently said, "Pray, how did she get at you?"

"I met her at the street door. But tell me, is not her bill a justone?"

"I cannot say; I have never had time to look at it. "

"But you know who the woman is, and that her husband worked for you, and therefore that in all probability it is right, --do you not?"

"Yes, yes, I know who the woman is well enough; she has taken careof that, for she has pestered me every day these nine months. "

Cecilia was struck dumb by this speech: hitherto she had supposedthat the dissipation of his life kept him ignorant of his owninjustice; but when she found he was so well informed of it, yet, with such total indifference, could suffer a poor woman to claim ajust debt every day for nine months together, she was shocked andastonished beyond measure. They were both some time silent, and thenMr Harrel, yawning and stretching out his arms, indolently asked, "Pray, why does not the man come himself?"

"Did I not tell you, " answered Cecilia, staring at so absent aquestion, "that he was very ill, and unable even to work?"

"Well, when he is better, " added he, moving towards the door, "hemay call, and I will talk to him. "

Cecilia, all amazement at this unfeeling behaviour, turnedinvoluntarily to Mr Arnott, with a countenance that appealed for hisassistance; but Mr Arnott hung his head, ashamed to meet her eyes, and abruptly left the room. 

Meantime Mr Harrel, half-turning back, though without lookingCecilia in the face, carelessly said, "Well, won't you come?"

"No, sir, " answered she, coldly. 

He then returned to the library, leaving her equally displeased, surprised, and disconcerted at the conversation which had justpassed between them. "Good heaven, " cried she to herself, "whatstrange, what cruel insensibility! to suffer a wretched family tostarve, from an obstinate determination to assert that they canlive! to distress the poor by retaining the recompense for whichalone they labour, and which at last they must have, merely fromindolence, forgetfulness, or insolence! Oh how little did my uncleknow, how little did I imagine to what a guardian I was entrusted!"She now felt ashamed even to return to the poor woman, though sheresolved to do all in her power to soften her disappointment andrelieve her distress. 

But before she had quitted the room one of the servants came to tellher that his master begged the honor of her company up stairs. "Perhaps he relents!" thought she; and pleased with the hope, readily obeyed the summons. 

She found him, his lady, Sir Robert Floyer, and two other gentlemen, all earnestly engaged in an argument over a large table, which wascovered with plans and elevations of small buildings. 

Mr Harrel immediately addressed her with an air of vivacity, andsaid, "You are very good for coming; we can settle nothing withoutyour advice: pray look at these different plans for our theatre, andtell us which is the best. "

Cecilia advanced not a step: the sight of plans for new edificeswhen the workmen were yet unpaid for old ones; the cruel wantonnessof raising fresh fabrics of expensive luxury, while those so latelybuilt had brought their neglected labourers to ruin, excited anindignation she scarce thought right to repress: while the easysprightliness of the director of these revels, to whom but themoment before she had represented the oppression of which they madehim guilty, filled her with aversion and disgust: and, recollectingthe charge given her by the stranger at the Opera rehearsal, sheresolved to speed her departure to another house, internallyrepeating, "Yes, I _will_ save myself from _the impendingdestruction of unfeeling prosperity_!"

Mrs Harrel, surprised at her silence and extreme gravity, enquiredif she was not well, and why she had put off her visit to MissLarolles? And Sir Robert Floyer, turning suddenly to look at her, said, "Do you begin to feel the London air already?"

Cecilia endeavoured to recover her serenity, and answer thesequestions in her usual manner; but she persisted in declining togive any opinion at all about the plans, and, after slightly lookingat them, left the room. 

Mr Harrel, who knew better how to account for her behaviour than hethought proper to declare, saw with concern that she was moreseriously displeased than he had believed an occurrence which he hadregarded as wholly unimportant could have made her: and, therefore, desirous that she should be appeased, he followed her out of thelibrary, and said, "Miss Beverley, will to-morrow be soon enough foryour _protegee_?"

"O yes, no doubt!" answered she, most agreeably surprised by thequestion. 

"Well, then, will you take the trouble to bid her come to me in themorning?"

Delighted at this unexpected commission, she thanked him with smilesfor the office; and as she hastened down stairs to chear the poorexpectant with the welcome intelligence, she framed a thousandexcuses for the part he had hitherto acted, and without anydifficulty, persuaded herself he began to see the faults of hisconduct, and to meditate a reformation. 

She was received by the poor creature she so warmly wished to servewith a countenance already so much enlivened, that she fancied MrHarrel had himself anticipated her intended information: this, however, she found was not the case, for as soon as she heard hismessage, she shook her head, and said, "Ah, madam, his honour alwayssays to-morrow! but I can better bear to be disappointed now, soI'll grumble no more; for indeed, madam, I have been blessed enoughto-day to comfort me for every thing in the world, if I could butkeep from thinking of poor Billy! I could bear all the rest, madam, but whenever my other troubles go off, that comes back to me so muchthe harder!"

"There, indeed, I can afford you no relief, " said Cecilia, "but youmust try to think less of him, and more of your husband and childrenwho are now alive. To-morrow you will receive your money, and that, I hope, will raise your spirits. And pray let your husband have aphysician, to tell you how to nurse and manage him; I will give youone fee for him now, and if he should want further advice, don'tfear to let me know. "

Cecilia had again taken out her purse, but Mrs Hill, clasping herhands, called out, "Oh madam no! I don't come here to fleece suchgoodness! but blessed be the hour that brought me here to-day, andif my poor Billy was alive, he should help me to thank you!"

She then told her that she was now quite rich, for while she wasgone, a gentleman had come into the room, who had given her fiveguineas. 

Cecilia, by her description, soon found this gentleman was MrArnott, and a charity so sympathetic with her own, failed not toraise him greatly in her favour. But as her benevolence was astranger to that parade which is only liberal from emulation, whenshe found more money not immediately wanted, she put up her purse, and charging Mrs Hill to enquire for her the next morning when shecame to be paid, bid her hasten back to her sick husband. 

And then, again ordering the carriage to the door, she set off uponher visit to Miss Larolles, with a heart happy in the good alreadydone, and happier still in the hope of doing more. 

Miss Larolles was out, and she returned home; for she was toosanguine in her expectations from Mr Harrel, to have any desire ofseeking her other guardians. The rest of the day she was more thanusually civil to him, with a view to mark her approbation of hisgood intentions: while Mr Arnott, gratified by meeting the smiles heso much valued, thought his five guineas amply repaid, independentlyof the real pleasure which he took in doing good. 

CHAPTER x

A PROVOCATION. 

The next morning, when breakfast was over, Cecilia waited with muchimpatience to hear some tidings of the poor carpenter's wife; butthough Mr Harrel, who had always that meal in his own room, cameinto his lady's at his usual hour, to see what was going forward, hedid not mention her name. She therefore went into the hall herself, to enquire among the servants if Mrs Hill was yet come?

Yes, they answered, and had seen their master, and was gone. 

She then returned to the breakfast room, where her eagerness toprocure some information detained her, though the entrance of SirRobert Floyer made her wish to retire. But she was wholly at a losswhether to impute to general forgetfulness, or to the failure ofperforming his promise, the silence of Mr Harrel upon the subject ofher petition. 

In a few minutes they were visited by Mr Morrice, who said he calledto acquaint the ladies that the next morning there was to be arehearsal of a very grand new dance at the Opera-House, where, though admission was difficult, if it was agreeable to them to go, he would undertake to introduce them. 

Mrs Harrel happened to be engaged, and therefore declined the offer. He then turned to Cecilia, and said, "Well, ma'am, when did you seeour friend Monckton?"

"Not since the rehearsal, sir. "

"He is a mighty agreeable fellow, " he continued, "and his house inthe country is charming. One is as easy at it as at home. Were youever there, Sir Robert?"

"Not I, truly, " replied Sir Robert; "what should I go for?--to seean old woman with never a tooth in her head sitting at the top ofthe table! Faith, I'd go an hundred miles a day for a month never tosee such a sight again. "

"O but you don't know how well she does the honours, " said Morrice;"and for my part, except just at meal times, I always contrive tokeep out of her way. "

"I wonder when she intends to die, " said Mr Harrel. 

"She's been a long time about it, " cried Sir Robert; "but thosetough old cats last for ever. We all thought she was going whenMonckton married her; however, if he had not managed like adriveler, he might have broke her heart nine years ago. "

"I am sure I wish he had, " cried Mrs Harrel, "for she's an odiouscreature, and used always to make me afraid of her. "

"But an old woman, " answered Sir Robert, "is a person who has nosense of decency; if once she takes to living, the devil himselfcan't get rid of her. "

"I dare say, " cried Morrice, "she'll pop off before long in one ofthose fits of the asthma. I assure you sometimes you may hear herwheeze a mile off. "

"She'll go never the sooner for that, " said Sir Robert, "for I havegot an old aunt of my own, who has been puffing and blowing as ifshe was at her last gasp ever since I can remember; and for allthat, only yesterday, when I asked her doctor when she'd give up theghost, he told me she might live these dozen years. "

Cecilia was by no means sorry to have this brutal conversationinterrupted by the entrance of a servant with a letter for her. Shewas immediately retiring to read it; but upon the petition of MrMonckton, who just then came into the room, she only went to awindow. The letter was as follows:

_To Miss, at his Honour Squire Harrel's--These:_

Honoured Madam, --This with my humble duty. His Honour has given menothing. But I would not be troublesome, having wherewithal to wait, so conclude, Honoured Madam, your dutiful servant to command, tilldeath, M. HILL. 

The vexation with which Cecilia read this letter was visible to thewhole company; and while Mr Arnott looked at her with a wish ofenquiry he did not dare express, and Mr Monckton, under anappearance of inattention, concealed the most anxious curiosity, MrMorrice alone had courage to interrogate her; and, pertly advancing, said, "He is a happy man who writ that letter, ma'am, for I am sureyou have not read it with indifference. "

"Were I the writer, " said Mr Arnott, tenderly, "I am sure I shouldreckon myself far otherwise, for Miss Beverley seems to have read itwith uneasiness. "

"However, I have read it, " answered she, "I assure you it is notfrom _any man_. "

"O pray, Miss Beverley, " cried Sir Robert, coming forward, "are youany better to-day?"

"No, sir, for I have not been ill. "

"A little vapoured, I thought, yesterday; perhaps you wantexercise. "

"I wish the ladies would put themselves under my care, " criedMorrice, "and take a turn round the park. "

"I don't doubt you, Sir, " said Mr Monckton, contemptuously, "and, but for the check of modesty, probably there is not a man here whowould not wish the same. "

"I could propose a much better scheme than that, " said Sir Robert;"what if you all walk to Harley Street, and give me your notions ofa house I am about there? what say you, Mrs Harrel?"

"O, I shall like it vastly. "

"Done, " cried Mr Harrel; "'tis an excellent motion. "

"Come then, " said Sir Robert, "let's be off. Miss Beverley, I hopeyou have a good warm cloak?"

"I must beg you to excuse my attending you, sir. "

Mr Monckton, who had heard this proposal with the utmost dread ofits success, revived at the calm steadiness with which it wasdeclined. Mr and Mrs Harrel both teized Cecilia to consent; but thehaughty Baronet, evidently more offended than hurt by her refusal, pressed the matter no further, either with her or the rest of theparty, and the scheme was dropt entirely. 

Mr Monckton failed not to remark this circumstance, which confirmedhis suspicions, that though the proposal seemed made by chance, itsdesign was nothing else than to obtain Cecilia's opinion concerninghis house. But while this somewhat alarmed him, the unabatedinsolence of his carriage, and the confident defiance of his pride, still more surprized him; and notwithstanding all he observed ofCecilia, seemed to promise nothing but dislike; he could draw noother inference from his behaviour, than that if he admired, he alsoconcluded himself sure of her. 

This was not a pleasant conjecture, however little weight he allowedto it; and he resolved, by outstaying all the company, to have a fewminutes' private discourse with her upon the subject. 

In about half an hour, Sir Robert and Mr Harrel went out together:Mr Monckton still persevered in keeping his ground, and tried, though already weary, to keep up a general conversation; but whatmoved at once his wonder and his indignation was the assurance ofMorrice, who seemed not only bent upon staying as long as himself, but determined, by rattling away, to make his own entertainment. 

At length a servant came in to tell Mrs Harrel that a stranger, whowas waiting in the house-keeper's room, begged to speak with herupon very particular business. 

"O, I know, " cried she, "'tis that odious John Groot: do pray, brother, try to get rid of him for me, for he comes to teize meabout his bill, and I never know what to say to him. "

Mr Arnott went immediately, and Mr Monckton could scarce refrainfrom going too, that he might entreat John Groot by no means to besatisfied without seeing Mrs Harrel herself: John Groot, however, wanted not his entreaties, as the servant soon returned to summonshis lady to the conference. 

But though Mr Monckton now seemed near the completion of hispurpose, Morrice still remained; his vexation at this circumstancesoon grew intolerable; to see himself upon the point of receivingthe recompense of his perseverance, by the fortunate removal of allthe obstacles in its way, and then to have it held from him by ayoung fellow he so much despised, and who had no entrance into thehouse but through his own boldness, and no inducement to stay in itbut from his own impertinence, mortified him so insufferably, thatit was with difficulty he even forbore from affronting him. Norwould he have scrupled a moment desiring him to leave the room, hadhe not prudently determined to guard with the utmost sedulityagainst raising any suspicions of his passion for Cecilia. 

He arose, however, and was moving towards her, with the intention tooccupy a part of a sofa on which she was seated, when Morrice, whowas standing at the back of it, with a sudden spring which made thewhole room shake, jumpt over, and sunk plump into the vacant placehimself, calling out at the same time, "Come, come, what have youmarried men to do with young ladies? I shall seize this post formyself. "

The rage of Mr Monckton at this feat, and still more at the words_married men_, almost exceeded endurance; he stopt short, andlooking at him with a fierceness that overpowered his discretion, was bursting out with, "Sir, you are an---_impudent fellow_, "but checking himself when he got half way, concluded with, "a veryfacetious gentleman!"

Morrice, who wished nothing so little as disobliging Mr Monckton, and whose behaviour was merely the result of levity and a want ofearly education, no sooner perceived his displeasure, than, risingwith yet more agility than he had seated himself, he resumed theobsequiousness of which an uncommon flow of spirits had robbed him, and guessing no other subject for his anger than the disturbance hehad made, he bowed almost to the ground, first to him, andafterwards to Cecilia, most respectfully begging pardon of them bothfor his frolic, and protesting he had no notion he should have madesuch a noise!

Mrs Harrel and Mr Arnott, now hastening back, enquired what had beenthe matter? Morrice, ashamed of his exploit, and frightened by thelooks of Mr Monckton, made an apology with the utmost humility, andhurried away: and Mr Monckton, hopeless of any better fortune, soondid the same, gnawn with a cruel discontent which he did not dareavow, and longing. To revenge himself upon Morrice, even by personalchastisement. 

CHAPTER xi

A NARRATION. 

The moment Cecilia was at liberty, she sent her own servant toexamine into the real situation of the carpenter and his family, andto desire his wife would call upon her as soon as she was atleisure. The account which he brought back encreased her concern forthe injuries of these poor people, and determined her not to restsatisfied till she saw them redressed. He informed her that theylived in a small lodging up two pair of stairs; that there were fivechildren, all girls, the three eldest of whom were hard at work withtheir mother in matting chair-bottoms, and the fourth, though a merechild, was nursing the youngest; while the poor carpenter himselfwas confined to his bed, in consequence of a fall from a ladderwhile working at Violet-Bank, by which he was covered with woundsand contusions, and an object of misery and pain. 

As soon as Mrs Hill came, Cecilia sent for her into her own room, where she received her with the most compassionate tenderness, anddesired to know when Mr Harrel talked of paying her?

"To-morrow, madam, " she answered, shaking her head, "that is alwayshis honour's speech: but I shall bear it while I can. However, though I dare not tell his honour, something bad will come of it, ifI am not paid soon. "

"Do you mean, then, to apply to the law?"

"I must not tell you, madam; but to be sure we have thought of itmany a sad time and often; but still, while we could rub on, wethought it best not to make enemies: but, indeed, madam, his honourwas so hardhearted this morning, that if I was not afraid you wouldbe angry, I could not tell how to bear it; for when I told him I hadno help now, for I had lost my Billy, he had the heart to say, 'Somuch the better, there's one the less of you. '"

"But what, " cried Cecilia, extremely shocked by this unfeelingspeech, "is the reason he gives for disappointing you so often?"

"He says, madam, that none of the other workmen are paid yet; andthat, to be sure, is very true; but then they can all better affordto wait than we can, for we were the poorest of all, madam, and havebeen misfortunate from the beginning: and his honour would neverhave employed us, only he had run up such a bill with Mr Wright, that he would not undertake any thing more till he was paid. We weretold from the first we should not get our money; but we were willingto hope for the best, for we had nothing to do, and were hard run, and had never had the offer of so good a job before; and we had agreat family to keep, and many losses, and so much illness!--Ohmadam! if you did but know what the poor go through!"

This speech opened to Cecilia a new view of life; that a young mancould appear so gay and happy, yet be guilty of such injustice andinhumanity, that he could take pride in works which not even moneyhad made his own, and live with undiminished splendor, when hiscredit itself began to fail, seemed to her incongruities soirrational, that hitherto she had supposed them impossible. 

She then enquired if her husband had yet had any physician?

"Yes, madam, I humbly thank your goodness, " she answered; "but I amnot the poorer for that, for the gentleman was so kind he would takenothing. "

"And does he give you any hopes? what does he say?"

"He says he must die, madam, but I knew that before. "

"Poor woman! and what will you do then?"

"The same, madam, as I did when I lost my Billy, work on theharder!"

"Good heaven, _how severe a lot_! but tell me, why is it youseem to love your Billy so much better than the rest of yourchildren?"

"Because, madam, he was the only boy that ever I had; he wasseventeen years old, madam, and as tall and as pretty a lad! and sogood, that he never cost me a wet eye till I lost him. He workedwith his father, and all the folks used to say he was the betterworkman of the two. "

"And what was the occasion of his death?"

"A consumption, madam, that wasted him quite to nothing: and he wasill a long time, and cost us a deal of money, for we spared neitherfor wine nor any thing that we thought would but comfort him; and weloved him so we never grudged it. But he died, madam! and if it hadnot been for very hard work, the loss of him would quite have brokemy heart. "

"Try, however, to think less of him, " said Cecilia; "and depend uponmy speaking again for you to Mr Harrel. You shall certainly haveyour money; take care, therefore, of your own health, and go homeand give comfort to your sick husband. "

"Oh, madam, " cried the poor woman, tears streaming down her cheeks, "you don't know how touching it is to hear gentlefolks talk sokindly! And I have been used to nothing but roughness from hishonour! But what I most fear, madam, is that when my husband isgone, he will be harder to deal with than ever; for a widow, madam, is always hard to be righted; and I don't expect to hold out longmyself, for sickness and sorrow wear fast: and then, when we areboth gone, who is to help our poor children?"

"_I_ will!" cried the generous Cecilia; "I am able, and I amwilling; you shall not find all the rich hardhearted, and I will tryto make you some amends for the unkindness you have suffered. "

The poor woman, overcome by a promise so unexpected, burst into apassionate fit of tears, and sobbed out her thanks with a violenceof emotion that frightened Cecilia almost as much as it melted her. She endeavoured, by re-iterated assurances of assistance, to appeaseher, and solemnly pledged her own honour that she should certainlybe paid the following Saturday, which was only three days distant. 

Mrs Hill, when a little calmer, dried her eyes, and humbly beggingher to forgive a transport which she could not restrain, mostgratefully thanked her for the engagement into which she hadentered, protesting that she would not be _troublesome to hergoodness_ as long as she could help it; "And I believe, " shecontinued, "that if his honour will but pay me time enough for theburial, I can make shift with what I have till then. But when mypoor Billy died, we were sadly off indeed, for we could not bear butbury him prettily, because it was the last we could do for him: butwe could hardly scrape up enough for it, and yet we all went withoutour dinners to help forward, except the little one of all. But thatdid not much matter, for we had no great heart for eating. ". 

"I cannot bear this!" cried Cecilia; "you must tell me no more ofyour Billy; but go home, and chear your spirits, and do every thingin your power to save your husband. "

"I will, madam, " answered the woman, "and his dying prayers shallbless you! and all my children shall bless you, and every night theyshall pray for you. And oh!"--again bursting into tears, "that Billywas but alive to pray for you too!"

Cecilia kindly endeavoured to soothe her, but the poor creature, nolonger able to suppress the violence of her awakened sorrows, criedout, "I must go, madam, and pray for you at home, for now I haveonce begun crying again, I don't know how to have done!" and hurriedaway. 

Cecilia determined to make once more an effort with Mr Harrel forthe payment of the bill, and if that, in two days, did not succeed, to take up money for the discharge of it herself, and rest all hersecurity for reimbursement upon the shame with which such aproceeding must overwhelm him. Offended, however, by the repulse shehad already received from him, and disgusted by all she had heard ofhis unfeeling negligence, she knew not how to address him, andresolved upon applying again to Mr Arnott, who was alreadyacquainted with the affair, for advice and assistance. 

Mr Arnott, though extremely gratified that she consulted him, betrayed by his looks a hopelessness of success, that damped all herexpectations. He promised, however, to speak to Mr Harrel upon thesubject, but the promise was evidently given to oblige the fairmediatrix, without any hope of advantage to the cause. 

The next morning Mrs Hill again came, and again without payment wasdismissed. 

Mr Arnott then, at the request of Cecilia, followed Mr Harrel intohis room, to enquire into the reason of this breach of promise; theycontinued some time together, and when he returned to Cecilia, hetold her, that his brother had assured him he would give orders toDavison, his gentleman, to let her have the money the next day. 

The pleasure with which she would have heard this intelligence wasmuch checked by the grave and cold manner in which it wascommunicated: she waited, therefore, with more impatience thanconfidence for the result of this fresh assurance. 

The next morning, however, was the same as the last; Mrs Hill came, saw Davison, and was sent away. 

Cecilia, to whom she related her grievances, then flew to Mr Arnott, and entreated him to enquire at least of Davison why the woman hadagain been disappointed. 

Mr Arnott obeyed her, and brought for answer, that Davison hadreceived no orders from his master. 

"I entreat you then, " cried she, with mingled eagerness andvexation, "to go, for the last time, to Mr Harrel. I am sorry toimpose upon you an office so disagreeable, but I am sure youcompassionate these poor people, and will serve them now with yourinterest, as you have already done with your purse. I only wish toknow if there has been any mistake, or if these delays are merely tosicken me of petitioning. "

Mr Arnott, with a repugnance to the request which he could as illconceal as his admiration of the zealous requester, again forcedhimself to follow Mr Harrel. His stay was not long, and Cecilia athis return perceived that he was hurt and disconcerted. As soon asthey were alone together, she begged to know what had passed?"Nothing, " answered he, "that will give you any pleasure. When Ientreated my brother to come to the point, he said it was hisintention to pay all his workmen together, for that if he paid anyone singly, all the rest would be dissatisfied. "

"And why, " said Cecilia, "should he not pay them at once? There canbe no more comparison in the value of the money to him and to them, than, to speak with truth, there is in his and in their right toit. "

"But, madam, the bills for the new house itself are none of themsettled, and he says that the moment he is known to discharge anaccount for the Temple, he shall not have any rest for the clamoursit will raise among the workmen who were employed about the house. "

"How infinitely strange!" exclaimed Cecilia; "will he not, then, payanybody?"

"Next quarter, he says, he shall pay them all, but, at present, hehas a particular call for his money. "

Cecilia would not trust herself to make any comments upon such anavowal, but thanking Mr Arnott for the trouble which he had taken, she determined, without any further application, to desire Mr Harrelto advance her 20 pounds the next morning, and satisfy the carpenterherself, be the risk what it might. 

The following day, therefore, which was the Saturday when paymentwas promised, she begged an audience of Mr Harrel; which heimmediately granted; but, before she could make her demand, he saidto her, with an air of the utmost gaiety and good-humour, "Well, Miss Beverley, how fares it with your _protegee_? I hope, atlength, she is contented. But I must beg you would charge her tokeep her own counsel, as otherwise she will draw me into a scrape Ishall not thank her for. "

"Have you, then, paid her?" cried Cecilia, with much amazement. 

"Yes; I promised you I would, you know. "

This intelligence equally delighted and astonished her; sherepeatedly thanked him for his attention to her petition, and, eagerto communicate her success to Mr Arnott, she hastened to find him. "Now, " cried she, "I shall torment you no more with painfulcommissions; the Hills, at last, are paid!"

"From you, madam, " answered he gravely, "no commissions could bepainful. "

"Well, but, " said Cecilia, somewhat disappointed, "you don't seemglad of this?"

"Yes, " answered he, with a forced smile, "I am very glad to see youso. "

"But how was it brought about? did Mr Harrel relent? or did youattack him again?"

The hesitation of his answer convinced her there was some mystery inthe transaction; she began to apprehend she had been deceived, andhastily quitting the room, sent for Mrs Hill: but the moment thepoor woman appeared, she was satisfied of the contrary, for, almostfrantic with joy and gratitude, she immediately flung herself uponher knees, to thank her benefactress for having _seen herrighted_. 

Cecilia then gave her some general advice, promised to continue herfriend, and offered her assistance in getting her husband into anhospital; but she told her he had already been in one many months, where he had been pronounced incurable, and therefore was desirousto spend his last days in his own lodgings. 

"Well, " said Cecilia, "make them as easy to him as you, can, andcome to me next week, and I will try to put you in a better way ofliving. "

She then, still greatly perplexed about Mr Arnott, sought him again, and, after various questions and conjectures, at length brought himto confess he had himself lent his brother the sum with which theHills had been paid. 

Struck with his generosity, she poured forth thanks and praises sograteful to his ears, that she soon gave him a recompense which hewould have thought cheaply purchased by half his fortune. 

BOOK II

CHAPTER i

A MAN OF WEALTH

The meanness with which Mr Harrel had assumed the credit, as well asaccepted the assistance of Mr Arnott, increased the disgust he hadalready excited in Cecilia, and hastened her resolution of quittinghis house; and therefore, without waiting any longer for the adviceof Mr Monckton, she resolved to go instantly to her other guardians, and see what better prospects their habitations might offer. 

For this purpose she borrowed one of the carriages, and gave ordersto be driven into the city to the house of Mr Briggs. 

She told her name, and was shewn, by a little shabby footboy, into aparlour. 

Here she waited, with tolerable patience, for half an hour, butthen, imagining the boy had forgotten to tell his master she was inthe house, she thought it expedient to make some enquiry. 

No bell, however, could she find, and therefore she went into thepassage in search of the footboy; but, as she was proceeding to thehead of the kitchen stairs, she was startled by hearing a man'svoice from the upper part of the house exclaiming, in a furiouspassion, "Dare say you've filched it for a dish-clout!"

She called out, however, "Are any of Mr Briggs's servants below?"

"Anan!" answered the boy, who came to the foot of the stairs, with aknife in one hand and an old shoe, upon the sole of which he wassharpening it, in the other, "Does any one call?"

"Yes, " said Cecilia, "I do; for I could not find the bell. "

"O, we have no bell in the parlour, " returned the boy, "masteralways knocks with his stick. "

"I am afraid Mr Briggs is too busy to see me, and if so, I will comeanother time. "

"No, ma'am, " said the boy, "master's only looking over his thingsfrom the wash. "

"Will you tell him, then, that I am waiting?"

"I has, ma'am; but master misses his shaving-rag, and he says hewon't come to the Mogul till he's found it. " And then he went onwith sharpening his knife. 

This little circumstance was at least sufficient to satisfy Ceciliathat if she fixed her abode with Mr Briggs, she should not have muchuneasiness to fear from the sight of extravagance and profusion. 

She returned to the parlour, and after waiting another half-hour, MrBriggs made his appearance. 

Mr Briggs was a short, thick, sturdy man, with very small keen blackeyes, a square face, a dark complexion, and a snub nose. Hisconstant dress, both in winter and summer, was a snuff-colour suitof clothes, blue and white speckled worsted stockings, a plainshirt, and a bob wig. He was seldom without a stick in his hand, which he usually held to his forehead when not speaking. 

This bob wig, however, to the no small amazement of Cecilia, he nowbrought into the room upon the forefinger of his left hand, while, with his right, he was smoothing the curls; and his head, indefiance of the coldness of the weather, was bald and uncovered. 

"Well, " cried he, as he entered, "did you think I should not come?"

"I was very willing, sir, to wait your leisure. "

"Ay, ay, knew you had not much to do. Been looking for my shaving-rag. Going out of town; never use such a thing at home, paper doesas well. Warrant Master Harrel never heard of such a thing; ever seehim comb his own wig? Warrant he don't know how! never trust mineout of my hands, the boy would tear off half the hair; all one tomaster Harrel, I suppose. Well, which is the warmer man, that's all?Will he cast an account with me?"

Cecilia, at a loss what to say to this singular exordium, began anapology for not waiting upon him sooner. 

"Ay, ay, " cried he, "always gadding, no getting sight of you. Live afine life! A pretty guardian, Master Harrel! and where's t'other?where's old Don Puffabout?"

"If you mean Mr Delvile, sir, I have not yet seen him. "

"Thought so. No matter, as well not. Only tell you he's a GermanDuke, or a Spanish Don Ferdinand. Well, you've me! poorly off else. A couple of ignoramuses! don't know when to buy nor when to sell. Nodoing business with either of them. We met once or twice; all to nopurpose; only heard Don Vampus count his old Grandees; how will thatget interest for money? Then comes Master Harrel--twenty bows to aword, --looks at a watch, --about as big as a sixpence, --poor rawninny!--a couple of rare guardians! Well, you've me, I say; mindthat!"

Cecilia was wholly unable to devise any answer to these effusions ofcontempt and anger; and therefore his harangue lasted withoutinterruption, till he had exhausted all his subjects of complaint, and emptied his mind of ill-will; and then, settling his wig, hedrew a chair near her, and twinkling his little black eyes in herface, his rage subsided into the most perfect good humour; and, after peering at her some time with a look of much approbation, hesaid, with an arch nod, "Well, my duck, got ever a sweetheart yet?"

Cecilia laughed, and said "No. "

"Ah, little rogue, don't believe you! all a fib! better speak out:come, fit I should know; a'n't you my own ward? to be sure, almostof age, but not quite, so what's that to me?"

She then, more seriously, assured him she had no intelligence ofthat sort to communicate. 

"Well, when you have, tell, that's all. Warrant sparks enoughhankering. I'll give you some advice Take care of sharpers; don'ttrust shoe-buckles, nothing but Bristol stones! tricks in allthings. A fine gentleman sharp as another man. Never give your heartto a gold-topped cane, nothing but brass gilt over. Cheatseverywhere: fleece you in a year; won't leave you a groat. But oneway to be safe, --bring 'em all to me. "

Cecilia thanked him for his caution, and promised not to forget hisadvice. 

"That's the way, " he continued, "bring 'em to me. Won't bebamboozled. Know their tricks. Shew 'em the odds on't. Ask for therent-roll, --see how they look! stare like stuck pigs! got no suchthing. "

"Certainly, sir, that will be an excellent method of trial. "

"Ay, ay, know the way! soon find if they are above par. Be suredon't mind gold waistcoats; nothing but tinsel, all shew and nosubstance; better leave the matter to me; take care of you myself;know where to find one will do. "

She again thanked him; and, being fully satisfied with this specimenof his conversation, and unambitious of any further counsel fromhim, she arose to depart. 

"Well, " repeated he, nodding at her, with a look of much kindness, "leave it to me, I say; I'll get you a careful husband, so take nothought about the matter. "

Cecilia, half-laughing, begged he would not give himself muchtrouble, and assured him she was not in any haste. 

"All the better, " said he, "good girl; no fear for you: look outmyself; warrant I'll find one. Not very easy, neither! hard times!men scarce; wars and tumults! stocks low! women chargeable!--butdon't fear; do our best; get you off soon. "

She then returned to her carriage: full of reflection upon the scenein which she had just been engaged, and upon the strangeness ofhastening from one house to avoid a vice the very want of whichseemed to render another insupportable! but she now found thatthough luxury was more baneful in its consequences, it was lessdisgustful in its progress than avarice; yet, insuperably averse toboth, and almost equally desirous to fly from the unjustextravagance of Mr Harrel, as from the comfortless and unnecessaryparsimony of Mr Briggs, she proceeded instantly to St James'sSquare, convinced that her third guardian, unless exactly resemblingone of the others, must inevitably be preferable to both. 

CHAPTER ii

A MAN OF FAMILY. 

The house of Mr Delvile was grand and spacious, fitted up not withmodern taste, but with the magnificence of former times; theservants were all veterans, gorgeous in their liveries, andprofoundly respectful in their manners; every thing had an air ofstate, but of a state so gloomy, that while it inspired awe, itrepressed pleasure. 

Cecilia sent in her name and was admitted without difficulty, andwas then ushered with great pomp through sundry apartments, and rowsof servants, before she came into the presence of Mr Delvile. 

He received her with an air of haughty affability which, to a spiritopen and liberal as that of Cecilia, could not fail being extremelyoffensive; but too much occupied with the care of his own importanceto penetrate into the feelings of another, he attributed theuneasiness which his reception occasioned to the overawingpredominance of superior rank and consequence. 

He ordered a servant to bring her a chair, while he only half rosefrom his own upon her entering into the room; then, waving his handand bowing, with a motion that desired her to be seated, he said, "Iam very happy, Miss Beverley, that you have found me alone; youwould rarely have had the same good fortune. At this time of day Iam generally in a crowd. People of large connections have not muchleisure in London, especially if they see a little after their ownaffairs, and if their estates, like mine, are dispersed in variousparts of the kingdom. However, I am glad it happened so. And I amglad, too, that you have done me the favour of calling withoutwaiting till I sent, which I really would have done as soon as Iheard of your arrival, but that the multiplicity of my engagementsallowed me no respite. "

A display of importance so ostentatious made Cecilia already halfrepent her visit, satisfied that the hope in which she had plannedit would be fruitless. 

Mr Delvile, still imputing to embarrassment, an inquietude ofcountenance that proceeded merely from disappointment, imagined herveneration was every moment increasing; and therefore, pitying atimidity which both gratified and softened him, and equally pleasedwith himself for inspiring, and with her for feeling it, he abatedmore and more of his greatness, till he became, at length, soinfinitely condescending, with intention to give her courage, thathe totally depressed her with mortification and chagrin. 

After some general inquiries concerning her way of life, he told herthat he hoped she was contented with her situation at the Harrels, adding, "If you have any thing to complain of, remember to whom youmay appeal. " He then asked if she had seen Mr Briggs?

"Yes, sir, I am this moment come from his house. "

"I am sorry for it; his house cannot be a proper one for thereception of a young lady. When the Dean made application that Iwould be one of your guardians, I instantly sent him a refusal, asis my custom upon all such occasions, which indeed occur to me witha frequency extremely importunate: but the Dean was a man for whom Ihad really a regard, and, therefore, when I found my refusal hadaffected him, I suffered myself to be prevailed upon to indulge him, contrary not only to my general rule, but to my inclination. "

Here he stopt, as if to receive some compliment, but Cecilia, verylittle disposed to pay him any, went no farther than an inclinationof the head. 

"I knew not, however, " he continued, "at the time I was induced togive my consent, with whom I was to be associated; nor could I haveimagined the Dean so little conversant with the distinctions of theworld, as to disgrace me with inferior coadjutors: but the moment Ilearnt the state of the affair, I insisted upon withdrawing both myname and countenance. "

Here again he paused; not in expectation of an answer from Cecilia, but merely to give her time to marvel in what manner he had at lastbeen melted. 

"The Dean, " he resumed, "was then very ill; my displeasure, Ibelieve, hurt him. I was sorry for it; he was a worthy man, and hadnot meant to offend me; in the end, I accepted his apology, and waseven persuaded to accept the office. You have a right, therefore, toconsider yourself as _personally_ my ward, and though I do notthink proper to mix much with your other guardians, I shall alwaysbe ready to serve and advise you, and much pleased to see you. "

"You do me honour, sir, " said Cecilia, extremely wearied of suchgraciousness, and rising to be gone. 

"Pray sit still, " said he, with a smile; "I have not manyengagements for this morning. You must give me some account how youpass your time. Are you much out? The Harrels, I am told, live at agreat expense. What is their establishment?"

"I don't exactly know, sir. "

"They are decent sort of people, I believe; are they not?"

"I hope so, sir!"

"And they have a tolerable acquaintance, I believe: I am told so;for I know nothing of them. "

"They have, at least, a very numerous one, sir. "

"Well, my dear, " said he, taking her hand, "now you have onceventured to come, don't be apprehensive of repeating your visits. Imust introduce you to Mrs Delvile; I am sure she will be happy toshew you any kindness. Come, therefore, when you please, and withoutscruple. I would call upon you myself, but am fearful of beingembarrassed by the people with whom you live. "

He then rang his bell, and with the same ceremonies which hadattended her admittance, she was conducted back to her carriage. 

And here died away all hope of putting into execution, during herminority, the plan of which the formation had given her so muchpleasure. She found that her present situation, however wide of herwishes, was by no means the most disagreeable in which she could beplaced; she was tired, indeed, of dissipation, and shocked at thesight of unfeeling extravagance; but notwithstanding the houses ofeach of her other guardians were exempt from these particular vices, she saw not any prospect of happiness with either of them; vulgarityseemed leagued with avarice to drive her from the mansion of MrBriggs, and haughtiness with ostentation to exclude her from that ofMr Delvile. 

She came back, therefore, to Portman Square, disappointed in herhopes, and sick both of those whom she quitted and of those to whomshe was returning; but in going to her own apartment Mrs Harrel, eagerly stopping her, begged she would come into the drawing-room, where she promised her a most agreeable surprise. 

Cecilia, for an instant, imagined that some old acquaintance wasjust arrived out of the country; but, upon her entrance, she sawonly Mr Harrel and some workmen, and found that the agreeablesurprise was to proceed from the sight of an elegant Awning, prepared for one of the inner apartments, to be fixed over a longdesert-table, which was to be ornamented with various devices of cutglass. 

"Did you ever see any thing so beautiful in your life?" cried MrsHarrel; "and when the table is covered with the coloured ices andthose sort of things, it will be as beautiful again. We shall haveit ready for Tuesday se'nnight. 

"I understood you were engaged to go to the Masquerade ?"

"So we shall; only we intend to see masks at home first. "

"I have some thoughts, " said Mr Harrel, leading the way to anothersmall room, "of running up a flight of steps and a little lightgallery here, and so making a little Orchestra. What would such athing come to, Mr Tomkins?"

"O, a trifle, sir, " answered Mr Tomkins, "a mere nothing. "

"Well, then, give orders for it, and let it be done directly. Idon't care how slight it is, but pray let it be very elegant. Won'tit be a great addition, Miss Beverley?"

"Indeed, sir, I don't think it seems to be very necessary, " saidCecilia, who wished much to take that moment for reminding him ofthe debt he had contracted with Mr Arnott. 

"Lord, Miss Beverley is so grave!" cried Mrs Harrel; "nothing ofthis sort gives her any pleasure. "

"She has indeed, " answered Cecilia, trying to smile, "not much tastefor the pleasure of being always surrounded by workmen. "

And, as soon as she was able, she retired to her room, feeling, bothon the part of Mr Arnott and the Hills, a resentment at theinjustice of Mr Harrel, which fixed her in the resolution ofbreaking through that facility of compliance, which had hithertoconfined her disapprobation to her own breast, and venturing, henceforward, to mark the opinion she entertained of his conduct byconsulting nothing but reason and principle in her own. 

Her first effort towards this change was made immediately, inbegging to be excused from accompanying Mrs Harrel to a large cardassembly that evening. 

Mrs Harrel, extremely surprised, asked a thousand times the reasonof her refusal, imagining it to proceed from some very extraordinarycause; nor was she, without the utmost difficulty, persuaded at lastthat she merely meant to pass one evening by herself. 

But the next day, when the refusal was repeated, she was still moreincredulous; it seemed to her impossible that any one who had thepower to be encircled with company, could by choice spend a secondafternoon alone: and she was so urgent in her request to beentrusted with the secret, that Cecilia found no way left to appeaseher, but by frankly confessing she was weary of eternal visiting, and sick of living always in a crowd. 

"Suppose, then, " cried she, "I send for Miss Larolles to come andsit with you?"

Cecilia, not without laughing, declined this proposal, assuring herthat no such assistant was necessary for her entertainment: yet itwas not till after a long contention that she was able to convinceher there would be no cruelty in leaving her by herself. 

The following day, however, her trouble diminished; for Mrs Harrel, ceasing to be surprised, thought little more of the matter, andforbore any earnestness of solicitation: and, from that time, shesuffered her to follow her own humour with very little opposition. Cecilia was much concerned to find her so unmoved; and not lessdisappointed at the indifference of Mr Harrel, who, being seldom ofthe same parties with his lady, and seeing her too rarely either tocommunicate or hear any domestic occurrences, far from being struck, as she had hoped, with the new way in which she passed her time, wasscarce sensible of the change, and interfered not upon the subject. 

Sir Robert Floyer, who continued to see her when he dined in PortmanSquare, often enquired what she did with herself in an evening; butnever obtaining any satisfactory answer, he concluded herengagements were with people to whom he was a stranger. 

Poor Mr Arnott felt the cruellest disappointment in being deprivedof the happiness of attending her in her evening's expeditions, when, whether he conversed with her or not, he was sure of theindulgence of seeing and hearing her. 

But the greatest sufferer from this new regulation was Mr Monckton, who, unable any longer to endure the mortifications of which hismorning visits to Portman Square had been productive, determined notto trust his temper with such provocations in future, but rather totake his chance of meeting with her elsewhere: for which purpose, heassiduously frequented all public places, and sought acquaintancewith every family and every person he believed to be known to theHarrels: but his patience was unrewarded, and his diligenceunsuccessful; he met with her no where, and, while he continued hissearch, fancied every evil power was at work to lead him whither hewas sure never to find her. 

Meanwhile Cecilia passed her time greatly to her own satisfaction. Her first care was to assist and comfort the Hills. She went herselfto their lodgings, ordered and paid for whatever the physicianprescribed to the sick man, gave clothes to the children, and moneyand various necessaries to the wife. She found that the poorcarpenter was not likely to languish much longer, and therefore, forthe present, only thought of alleviating his sufferings, byprocuring him such indulgences as were authorised by his physician, and enabling his family to abate so much of their labour as wasrequisite for obtaining time to nurse and attend him: but she meant, as soon as the last duties should be paid him, to assist hissurvivors in attempting to follow some better and more profitablebusiness. 

Her next solicitude was to furnish herself with a well-chosencollection of books: and this employment, which to a lover ofliterature, young and ardent in its pursuit, is perhaps the mind'sfirst luxury, proved a source of entertainment so fertile anddelightful that it left her nothing to wish. 

She confined not her acquisitions to the limits of her presentpower, but, as she was laying in a stock for future as well asimmediate advantage, she was restrained by no expence fromgratifying her taste and her inclination. She had now entered thelast year of her minority, and therefore had not any doubt that herguardians would permit her to take up whatever sum she shouldrequire for such a purpose. 

And thus, in the exercise of charity, the search of knowledge, andthe enjoyment of quiet, serenely in innocent philosophy passed thehours of Cecilia. 

CHAPTER iii

A MASQUERADE. 

The first check this tranquillity received was upon the day of themasquerade, the preparations for which have been already mentioned. The whole house was then in commotion from various arrangements andimprovements which were planned for almost every apartment that wasto be opened for the reception of masks. Cecilia herself, howeverlittle pleased with the attendant circumstance of wantonlyaccumulating unnecessary debts, was not the least animated of theparty: she was a stranger to every diversion of this sort, and fromthe novelty of the scene, hoped for uncommon satisfaction. 

At noon Mrs Harrel sent for her to consult upon a new scheme whichoccurred to Mr Harrel, of fixing in fantastic forms some colouredlamps in the drawing-room. 

While they were all discoursing this matter over, one of theservants, who had two or three times whispered some message to MrHarrel, and then retired, said, in a voice not too low to be heardby Cecilia, "Indeed, Sir, I can't get him away. "

"He's an insolent scoundrel, " answered Mr Harrel; "however, if Imust speak to him, I must;" and went out of the room. 

Mrs Harrel still continued to exercise her fancy upon this newproject, calling both upon Mr Arnott and Cecilia to admire her tasteand contrivance; till they were all interrupted by the loudness of avoice from below stairs, which frequently repeated, "Sir, I can waitno longer! I have been put off till I can be put off no more!"

Startled by this, Mrs Harrel ceased her employment, and they allstood still and silent. They then heard Mr Harrel with much softnessanswer, "Good Mr Rawlins, have a little patience; I shall receive alarge sum of money to-morrow, or next day, and you may then dependupon being paid. "

"Sir, " cried the man, "you have so often told me the same, that itgoes just for nothing: I have had a right to it a long time, and Ihave a bill to make up that can't be waited for any longer. "

"Certainly, Mr Rawlins, " replied Mr Harrel, with still increasinggentleness, "and certainly you shall have it: nobody means todispute your right; I only beg you to wait a day, or two days atfurthest, and you may then depend upon being paid. And you shall notbe the worse for obliging me; I will never employ any body else, andI shall have occasion for you very soon, as I intend to make somealterations at Violet-Bank that will be very considerable. "

"Sir, " said the man, still louder, "it is of no use your employingme, if I can never get my money. All my workmen must be paid whetherI am or no; and so, if I must needs speak to a lawyer, why there'sno help for it. "

"Did you ever hear any thing so impertinent?" exclaimed Mrs Harrel;"I am sure Mr Harrel will be very much to blame, if ever he letsthat man do any thing more for him. "

Just then Mr Harrel appeared, and, with an air of affectedunconcern, said, "Here's the most insolent rascal of a mason belowstairs I ever met with in my life; he has come upon me, quiteunexpectedly, with a bill of 400 pounds, and won't leave the housewithout the money. Brother Arnott, I wish you would do me the favourto speak to the fellow, for I could not bear to stay with him anylonger. "

"Do you wish me to give him a draft for the money upon my ownbanker?"

"That would be vastly obliging, " answered Mr Harrel, "and I willgive you my note for it directly. And so we shall get rid of thisfellow at once: and he shall do nothing more for me as long as helives. I will run up a new building at Violet-Bank next summer, ifonly to shew him what a job he has lost. "

"Pay the man at once, there's a good brother, " cried Mrs Harrel, "and let's hear no more of him. "

The two gentlemen then retired to another room, and Mrs Harrel, after praising the extreme good-nature of her brother, of whom shewas very fond, and declaring that the mason's impertinence had quitefrightened her, again returned to her plan of new decorations. 

Cecilia, amazed at this indifference to the state of her husband'saffairs, began to think it was her own duty to talk with her uponthe subject: and therefore, after a silence so marked that MrsHarrel enquired into its reason, she said, "Will you pardon me, mydear friend, if I own I am rather surprized to see you continuethese preparations?"

"Lord, why?"

"Because any fresh unnecessary expences just now, till Mr Harrelactually receives the money he talks of--"

"Why, my dear, the expence of such a thing as this is nothing; in MrHarrel's affairs I assure you it will not be at all felt. Besides, he expects money so soon, that it is just the same as if he had italready. "

Cecilia, unwilling to be too officious, began then to express heradmiration of the goodness and generosity of Mr Arnott; takingfrequent occasion, in the course of her praise, to insinuate thatthose only can be properly liberal, who are just and economical. 

She had prepared no masquerade habit for this evening, as MrsHarrel, by whose direction she was guided, informed her it was notnecessary for ladies to be masked at home, and said she shouldreceive her company herself in a dress which she might wear upon anyother occasion. Mr Harrel, also, and Mr Arnott made not anyalteration in their appearance. 

At about eight o'clock the business of the evening began; and beforenine, there were so many masks that Cecilia wished she had herselfmade one of the number, as she was far more conspicuous in beingalmost the only female in a common dress, than any masquerade habitcould have made her. The novelty of the scene, however, joined tothe general air of gaiety diffused throughout the company, shortlylessened her embarrassment; and, after being somewhat familiarizedto the abruptness with which the masks approached her, and thefreedom with which they looked at or addressed her, the firstconfusion of her situation subsided, and in her curiosity to watchothers, she ceased to observe how much she was watched herself. 

Her expectations of entertainment were not only fulfilled butsurpassed; the variety of dresses, the medley of characters, thequick succession of figures, and the ludicrous mixture of groups, kept her attention unwearied: while the conceited efforts at wit, the total thoughtlessness of consistency, and the ridiculousincongruity of the language with the appearance, were incitements tosurprise and diversion without end. Even the local cant of, _Doyou know me? Who are you?_ and _I know you_; with the slypointing of the finger, the arch nod of the head, and the pertsqueak of the voice, though wearisome to those who frequent suchassemblies, were, to her unhackneyed observation, additionalsubjects of amusement. 

Soon after nine o'clock, every room was occupied, and the commoncrowd of regular masqueraders were dispersed through the variousapartments. Dominos of no character, and fancy dresses of nomeaning, made, as is usual at such meetings, the general herd of thecompany: for the rest, the men were Spaniards, chimney-sweepers, Turks, watchmen, conjurers, and old women; and the ladies, shepherdesses, orange girls, Circassians, gipseys, haymakers, andsultanas. 

Cecilia had, as yet, escaped any address beyond the customaryenquiry of _Do you know me?_ and a few passing compliments; butwhen the rooms filled, and the general crowd gave general courage, she was attacked in a manner more pointed and singular. 

The very first mask who approached her seemed to have nothing lessin view than preventing the approach of every other: yet had helittle reason to hope favour for himself, as the person herepresented, of all others least alluring to the view, was thedevil! He was black from head to foot, save that two red hornsseemed to issue from his forehead; his face was so completelycovered that the sight only of his eyes was visible, his feet werecloven, and in his right hand he held a wand the colour of fire. 

Waving this wand as he advanced towards Cecilia, he cleared a semi-circular space before her chair, thrice with the most profoundreverence bowed to her, thrice. Turned himself around with sundrygrimaces, and then fiercely planted himself at her side. 

Cecilia was amused by his mummery, but felt no great delight in hisguardianship, and, after a short time, arose, with intention to walkto another place; but the black gentleman, adroitly moving roundher, held out his wand to obstruct her passage, and therefore, preferring captivity to resistance, she was again obliged to seatherself. 

An Hotspur, who just then made his appearance, was now struttingboldly towards her; but the devil, rushing furiously forwards, placed himself immediately between them. Hotspur, putting his armsa-kimbo with an air of defiance, gave a loud stamp with his rightfoot, and then--marched into another room!

The victorious devil ostentatiously waved his wand, and returned tohis station. 

Mr Arnott, who had never moved two yards from Cecilia, knowing hertoo well to suppose she received any pleasure from being thusdistinguished, modestly advanced to offer his assistance inreleasing her from confinement; but the devil, again describing acircle with his wand, gave him three such smart raps on the headthat his hair was disordered, and his face covered with powder. Ageneral laugh succeeded, and Mr Arnott, too diffident to braveraillery, or withstand shame, retired in confusion. 

The black gentleman seemed now to have all authority in his ownhands, and his wand was brandished with more ferocity than ever, noone again venturing to invade the domain he thought fit toappropriate for his own. 

At length, however, a Don Quixote appeared, and every mask in theroom was eager to point out to him the imprisonment of Cecilia. 

This Don Quixote was accoutered with tolerable exactness accordingto the description of the admirable Cervantes; his armour was rusty, his helmet was a barber's basin, his shield, a pewter dish, and hislance, an old sword fastened to a slim cane. His figure, tall andthin, was well adapted to the character he represented, and hismask, which depictured a lean and haggard face, worn with care, yetfiery with crazy passions, exhibited, with propriety the moststriking, the knight of the doleful countenance. 

The complaints against the devil with which immediately and from allquarters he was assailed, he heard with the most solemn taciturnity:after which, making a motion for general silence, he stalkedmajestically towards Cecilia, but stopping short of the limitsprescribed by her guard, he kissed his spear in token of allegiance, and then, slowly dropping upon one knee, began the followingaddress:

"Most incomparable Princess!--Thus humbly prostrate at the feet ofyour divine and ineffable beauty, graciously permit the most pitifulof your servitors, Don Quixote De la Mancha, from your high andtender grace, to salute the fair boards which sustain your corporealmachine. "

Then, bending down his head, he kissed the floor; after which, raising himself upon his feet, he proceeded in his speech. 

"Report, O most fair and unmatchable virgin! daringly affirmeth thata certain discourteous person, who calleth himself the devil, evennow, and in thwart of your fair inclinations, keepeth and detainethyour irradiant frame in hostile thraldom. Suffer then, magnanimousand undescribable lady! that I, the most groveling of your unworthyvassals, do sift the fair truth out of this foul sieve, andobsequiously bending to your divine attractions, conjure yourhighness veritably to inform me, if that honourable chair whichhaply supports your terrestrial perfections, containeth theinimitable burthen with the free and legal consent of your celestialspirit?"

Here he ceased: and Cecilia, who laughed at this characteristicaddress, though she had not courage to answer it, again made aneffort to quit her place, but again by the wand of her blackpersecutor was prevented. 

This little incident was answer sufficient for the valorous knight, who indignantly exclaimed, "Sublime Lady!--I beseech but of your exquisite mercy to refrainmouldering the clay composition of my unworthy body to impalpabledust, by the refulgence of those bright stars vulgarly called eyes, till I have lawfully wreaked my vengeance upon this unobligingcaitiff, for his most disloyal obstruction of your highness'sadorable pleasure. "

Then, bowing low, he turned from her, and thus addressed hisintended antagonist:

"Uncourtly Miscreant, --The black garment which envellopeth thy mostunpleasant person, seemeth even of the most ravishing whiteness, incompare of the black bile which floateth within thy sable interior. Behold, then, my gauntlet! yet ere I deign to be the instrument ofthy extirpation, O thou most mean and ignoble enemy! that the honourof Don Quixote De la Mancha may not be sullied by thy extinction, Ido here confer upon thee the honour of knighthood, dubbing thee, bymy own sword, Don Devil, knight of the horrible physiognomy. "

He then attempted to strike his shoulder with his spear, but theblack gentleman, adroitly eluding the blow, defended himself withhis wand: a mock fight ensued, conducted on both sides withadmirable dexterity; but Cecilia, less eager to view it than tobecome again a free agent, made her escape into another apartment;while the rest of the ladies, though they almost all screamed, jumped upon chairs and sofas to peep at the combat. 

In conclusion, the wand of the knight of the horrible physiognomywas broken against the shield of the knight of the dolefulcountenance; upon which Don Quixote called out _victoria_! thewhole room echoed the sound; the unfortunate new knight retiredabruptly into another apartment, and the conquering Don, seizing thefragments of the weapon of his vanquished enemy went out in searchof the lady for whose releasement he had fought: and the moment hefound her, prostrating both himself and the trophies at her feet, heagain pressed the floor with his lips, and then, slowly arising, repeated his reverences with added formality, and, without waitingher acknowledgments, gravely retired. 

The moment he departed a Minerva, not stately nor austere, notmarching in warlike majesty, but gay and airy, "Tripping on light fantastic toe, "

ran up to Cecilia, and squeaked out, "Do you know me?"

"Not, " answered she, instantly recollecting Miss Larolles, "by your_appearance_, I own! but by your _voice_, I think I can guess you. "

"I was monstrous sorry, " returned the goddess, without understandingthis distinction, "that I was not at home when you called upon me. Pray, how do you like my dress? I assure you I think it's theprettiest here. But do you know there's the most shocking thing inthe world happened in the next room! I really believe there's acommon chimney-sweeper got in! I assure you it's enough to frightenone to death, for every time he moves the soot smells so you can'tthink; quite real soot, I assure you! only conceive how nasty! Ideclare I wish with all my heart it would suffocate him!"

Here she was interrupted by the re-appearance of _Don Devil_;who, looking around him, and perceiving that his antagonist wasgone, again advanced to Cecilia: not, however, with the authority ofhis first approach, for with his wand he had lost much of his power;but to recompense himself for this disgrace, he had recourse toanother method equally effectual for keeping his prey to himself, for he began a growling, so dismal and disagreeable, that while manyof the ladies, and, among the first, the _Goddess of Wisdom andCourage_, ran away to avoid him, the men all stood aloof to watchwhat next was to follow. 

Cecilia now became seriously uneasy; for she was made an object ofgeneral attention, yet could neither speak nor be spoken to. Shecould suggest no motive for behaviour so whimsical, though sheimagined the only person who could have the assurance to practise itwas Sir Robert Floyer. 

After some time spent thus disagreeably, a white domino, who for afew minutes had been a very attentive spectator, suddenly cameforward, and exclaiming, "_I'll cross him though he blast me!_"rushed upon the fiend, and grasping one of his horns, called out toa Harlequin who stood near him, "Harlequin! do you fear to fight thedevil?"

"Not I truly!" answered Harlequin, whose voice immediately betrayedyoung Morrice, and who, issuing from the crowd, whirled himselfround before the black gentleman with yet more agility than he hadhimself done before Cecilia, giving him, from time to time, manysmart blows on his shoulders, head, and back, with his wooden sword. 

The rage of _Don Devil_ at this attack seemed somewhat beyondwhat a masquerade character rendered necessary; he foamed at themouth with resentment, and defended himself with so much vehemence, that he soon drove poor Harlequin into another room: but, when hewould have returned to his prey, the genius of pantomime, curbed, but not subdued, at the instigation of the white domino, returned tothe charge, and by a perpetual rotation of attack and retreat, kepthim in constant employment, pursuing him from room to room, andteazing him without cessation or mercy. 

Mean time Cecilia, delighted at being released, hurried into acorner, where she hoped to breathe and look on in quiet; and thewhite domino having exhorted Harlequin to torment the tormentor, andkeep him at bay, followed her with congratulations upon herrecovered freedom. 

"It is you, " answered she, "I ought to thank for it, which indeed Ido most heartily. I was so tired of confinement, that my mind seemedalmost as little at liberty as my person. "

"Your persecutor, I presume, " said the domino, "is known to you. "

"I hope so, " answered she, "because there is one man I suspect, andI should be sorry to find there was another equally disagreeable. "

"O, depend upon it, " cried he, "there are many who would be happy toconfine you in the same manner; neither have you much cause forcomplaint; you have, doubtless, been the aggressor, and played thisgame yourself without mercy, for I read in your face the captivityof thousands: have you, then, any right to be offended at the spiritof retaliation which one, out of such numbers has courage to exertin return?"

"I protest, " cried Cecilia, "I took you for my defender! whence isit you are become my accuser?"

"From seeing the danger to which my incautious knight-errantry hasexposed me; I begin, indeed, to take you for a very mischievous sortof person, and I fear the poor devil from whom I rescued you will beamply revenged for his disgrace, by finding that the first use youmake of your freedom is to doom your deliverer to bondage. "

Here they were disturbed by the extreme loquacity of two oppositeparties: and listening attentively, they heard from one side, "Myangel! fairest of creatures! goddess of my heart!" uttered inaccents of rapture; while from the other, the vociferation was soviolent they could distinctly hear nothing. 

The white domino satisfied his curiosity by going to both parties;and then, returning to Cecilia, said, "Can you conjecture who wasmaking those soft speeches? a Shylock! his knife all the while inhis hand, and his design, doubtless, to _cut as near the heart aspossible!_ while the loud cackling from the other side is owingto the riotous merriment of a noisy Mentor! when next I hear adisturbance, I shall expect to see some simpering Pythagoras stunnedby his talkative disciples. "

"To own the truth, " said Cecilia, "the almost universal neglect ofthe characters assumed by these masquers has been the chief sourceof my entertainment this evening: for at a place of this sort, thenext best thing to a character well supported is a characterridiculously burlesqued. "

"You cannot, then, have wanted amusement, " returned the domino, "foramong all the persons assembled in these apartments, I have seenonly three who have seemed conscious that any change but that ofdress was necessary to disguise them. "

"And pray who are those?"

"A Don Quixote, a schoolmaster, and your friend the devil. "

"O, call him not my friend, " exclaimed Cecilia, "for indeed in orout of that garb he is particularly my aversion. "

"_My_ friend, then, I will call him, " said the domino, "for so, were he ten devils, I must think him, since I owe to him the honourof conversing with you. And, after all, to give him his due, towhich, you know, he is even proverbially entitled, he has shewn suchabilities in the performance of his part, so much skill in thedisplay of malice, and so much perseverance in the art oftormenting, that I cannot but respect his ingenuity and capacity. And, indeed, if instead of an evil genius, he had represented aguardian angel, he could not have shewn a more refined taste in hischoice of an object to hover about. "

Just then they were approached by a young haymaker, to whom thewhite domino called out, "You look as gay and as brisk as if freshfrom the hay-field after only half a day's work. Pray, how is it youpretty lasses find employment for the winter"

"How?" cried she, pertly, "why, the same as for the summer!" Andpleased with her own readiness at repartee, without feeling theignorance it betrayed, she tript lightly on. 

Immediately after the schoolmaster mentioned by the white dominoadvanced to Cecilia. His dress was merely a long wrapping gown ofgreen stuff, a pair of red slippers, and a woollen night-cap of thesame colour; while, as the symbol of his profession, he held a rodin his hand. 

"Ah, fair lady, " he cried, "how soothing were it to the austerity ofmy life, how softening to the rigidity of my manners, might I--without a _breaking out of bounds_, which I ought to be thefirst to discourage, and a "confusion to all order" for which theschool-boy should himself chastise his master--be permitted to castat your feet this emblem of my authority! and to forget, in thesoftness of your conversation, all the roughness of discipline!"

"No, no, " cried Cecilia, "I will not be answerable for suchcorruption of taste!"

"This repulse, " answered he, "is just what I feared; for alas! underwhat pretence could a poor miserable country pedagogue presume toapproach you? Should I examine you in the dead languages, would notyour living accents charm from me all power of reproof? Could I lookat you, and hear a false concord? Should I doom you to water-gruelas a dunce, would not my subsequent remorse make me want it myselfas a madman? Were your fair hand spread out to me for correction, should I help applying my lips to it, instead of my rat-tan? If Iordered you to be _called up_, should I ever remember to haveyou sent back? And if I commanded you to stand in a corner, howshould I forbear following you thither myself?"

Cecilia, who had no difficulty in knowing this pretendedschoolmaster for Mr Gosport, was readily beginning to proposeconditions for according him her favour, when their ears wereassailed by a forced phthisical cough, which they found proceededfrom an apparent old woman, who was a young man in disguise, andwhose hobbling gait, grunting voice, and most grievous asthmaticcomplaints, seemed greatly enjoyed and applauded by the company. 

"How true is it, yet how inconsistent, " cried the white domino, "that while we all desire to live long, we have all a horror ofbeing old! The figure now passing is not meant to ridicule anyparticular person, nor to stigmatize any particular absurdity; itssole view is to expose to contempt and derision the general andnatural infirmities of age! and the design is not more disgustingthan impolitic; for why, while so carefully we guard from allapproaches of death, should we close the only avenues to happinessin long life, respect and tenderness?"

Cecilia, delighted both by the understanding and humanity of her newacquaintance, and pleased at being joined by Mr Gosport, wasbeginning to be perfectly satisfied with her situation, when, creeping softly towards her, she again perceived the blackgentleman. 

"Ah!" cried she, with some vexation, "here comes my old tormentor!screen me from him if possible, or he will again make me hisprisoner. "

"Fear not, " cried the white domino, "he is an evil spirit, and wewill surely lay him. If one spell fails, we must try another. "

Cecilia then perceiving Mr Arnott, begged he would also assist inbarricading her from the fiend who so obstinately pursued her. 

Mr Arnott most gratefully acceded to the proposal; and the whitedomino, who acted as commanding officer, assigned to each hisstation: he desired Cecilia would keep quietly to her seat, appointed the schoolmaster to be her guard on the left, tookpossession himself of the opposite post, and ordered Mr Arnott tostand centinel in front. 

This arrangement being settled, the guards of the right and leftwings instantly secured their places; but while Mr Arnott wasconsidering whether it were better to face the besieged or theenemy, the arch-foe rushed suddenly before him, and laid himselfdown at the feet of Cecilia!

Mr Arnott, extremely disconcerted, began a serious expostulationupon the ill-breeding of this behaviour; but the devil, resting allexcuse upon supporting his character, only answered by growling. 

The white domino seemed to hesitate for a moment in what manner toconduct himself, and with a quickness that marked his chagrin, saidto Cecilia, "You told me you knew him, --has he any right to followyou?"

"If he thinks he has, " answered she, a little alarmed by hisquestion, "this is no time to dispute it. "

And then, to avoid any hazard of altercation, she discreetly forboremaking further complaints, preferring any persecution to seriouslyremonstrating with a man of so much insolence as the Baronet. 

The schoolmaster, laughing at the whole transaction, only said, "Andpray, madam, after playing the devil with all mankind, what righthave you to complain that one man plays the devil with you?"

"We shall, at least, fortify you, " said the white domino, "from anyother assailant: no three-headed Cerberus could protect you moreeffectually: but you will not, therefore, fancy yourself in thelower regions, for, if I mistake not, the torment of _threeguardians_ is nothing new to you. "

"And how, " said Cecilia, surprised, "should you know of my threeguardians? I hope I am not quite encompassed with evil spirits!"

"No, " answered he; "you will find me as inoffensive as the hue ofthe domino I wear;----and would I could add as insensible!"

"This black gentleman, " said the schoolmaster, "who, and veryinnocently, I was going to call your _black-guard_, has asnoble and fiend-like a disposition as I remember to have seen; forwithout even attempting to take any diversion himself, he seemsgratified to his heart's content in excluding from it the lady heserves. "

"He does me an honour I could well dispense with, " said Cecilia;"but I hope he has some secret satisfaction in his situation whichpays him for its apparent inconvenience. "

Here the black gentleman half-raised himself, and attempted to takeher hand. She started, and with much displeasure drew it back. Hethen growled, and again sank prostrate. 

"This is a fiend, " said the schoolmaster, "who to himself sayeth, _Budge not!_ let his conscience never so often say _budge!_ Well, fair lady, your fortifications, however, may now be deemedimpregnable, since I, with a flourish of my rod, can keep off theyoung by recollection of the past, and since the fiend, with a jutof his foot, may keep off the old from dread of the future!"

Here a Turk, richly habited and resplendent with jewels, stalkedtowards Cecilia, and, having regarded her some time, called out, "Ihave been looking hard about me the whole evening, and, faith, Ihave seen nothing handsome before!"

The moment he opened his mouth, his voice, to her utterastonishment, betrayed Sir Robert Floyer! "Mercy on me, " cried shealoud, and pointing to the fiend, "who, then, can this possibly be?"

"Do you not know?" cried the white domino. 

"I thought I had known with certainty, " answered she, "but I nowfind I was mistaken. "

"He is a happy man, " said the schoolmaster, sarcastically looking atthe Turk, "who has removed your suspicions only by appearing inanother character!"

"Why, what the deuce, then, " exclaimed the Turk, "have you takenthat black dog there for _me_?"

Before this question could be answered, an offensive smell of soot, making everybody look around the room, the chimney-sweeper alreadymentioned by Miss Larolles was perceived to enter it. Every way hemoved a passage was cleared for him, as the company, with generaldisgust, retreated wherever he advanced. 

He was short, and seemed somewhat incommoded by his dress; he heldhis soot-bag over one arm, and his shovel under the other. As soonas he espied Cecilia, whose situation was such as to prevent hereluding him, he hooted aloud, and came stumping up to her; "Ah ha, "he cried, "found at last;" then, throwing down his shovel, he openedthe mouth of his bag, and pointing waggishly to her head, said, "Come, shall I pop you?--a good place for naughty girls; in, I say, poke in!--cram you up the chimney. "

And then he put forth his sooty hands to reach her cap. 

Cecilia, though she instantly knew the dialect of her guardian MrBriggs, was not therefore the more willing to be so handled, andstarted back to save herself from his touch; the white domino alsocame forward, and spread out his arms as a defence to her, while thedevil, who was still before her, again began to growl. 

"Ah ha!" cried the chimney-sweeper, laughing, "so did not know me?Poor duck! won't hurt you; don't be frightened; nothing but oldguardian; all a joke!" And then, patting her cheek with his dirtyhand, and nodding at her with much kindness, "Pretty dove, " headded, "be of good heart! shan't be meddled with; come to see afteryou. Heard of your tricks; thought I'd catch you!--come o' purpose. --Poor duck! did not know me! ha! ha!--good joke enough!"

"What do you mean, you dirty dog, " cried the Turk, "by touching thatlady?"

"Won't tell!" answered he; "not your business. Got a good right. Whocares for pearls? Nothing but French beads. " Pointing with a sneerto his turban. Then, again addressing Cecilia, "Fine doings!" hecontinued, "Here's a place! never saw the like before! turn a man'snoddle!--All goings out; no comings in; wax candles in every room;servants thick as mushrooms! And where's the cash? Who's to pay thepiper? Come to more than a guinea; warrant Master Harrel thinks thatnothing!"

"A guinea?" contemptuously repeated the Turk, "and what do yousuppose a guinea will do?"

"What? Why, keep a whole family handsome a week;--never spend somuch myself; no, nor half neither. "

"Why then, how the devil do you live? Do you beg?"

"Beg? Who should I beg of? You?--Got anything to give? Are warm?"

"Take the trouble to speak more respectfully, sir!" said the Turk, haughtily; "I see you are some low fellow, and I shall not put upwith your impudence. "

"Shall, shall! I say!" answered the chimneysweeper, sturdily;"Hark'ee, my duck, " chucking Cecilia under the chin, "don't becajoled, nick that spark! never mind gold trappings; none of hisown; all a take-in; hired for eighteenpence; not worth a groat. Never set your heart on a fine outside, nothing within. Bristolstones won't buy stock: only wants to chouse you. "

"What do you mean by that, you little old scrub!" cried theimperious Turk; "would you provoke me to soil my fingers by pullingthat beastly snub nose?" For Mr Briggs had saved himself any actualmask, by merely blacking his face with soot. 

"Beastly snub nose!" sputtered out the chimneysweeper in much wrath, "good nose enough; don't want a better; good as another man's. Where's the harm on't?"

"How could this blackguard get in?" cried the Turk, "I believe he'sa mere common chimneysweeper out of the streets, for he's all overdirt and filth. I never saw such a dress at a masquerade before inmy life. "

"All the better, " returned the other; "would not change. What dothink it cost?"

"Cost? Why, not a crown. "

"A crown? ha! ha!--a pot o' beer! Little Tom borrowed it; had it ofour own sweep. Said 'twas for himself. I bid him a pint; rascalwould not take less. "

"Did your late uncle, " said the white domino in a low voice toCecilia, "chuse for two of your guardians Mr Harrel and Mr Briggs, to give you an early lesson upon the opposite errors of profusionand meanness?"

"My uncle?" cried Cecilia, starting, "were you acquainted with myuncle?"

"No, " said he, "for my happiness I knew him not. "

"You would have owed no loss of happiness to an acquaintance withhim, " said Cecilia, very seriously, "for he was one who dispensed tohis friends nothing but good. "

"Perhaps so, " said the domino; "but I fear I should have found thegood he dispensed through his niece not quite unmixed with evil!"

"What's here?" cried the chimney-sweeper, stumbling over the fiend, "what's this black thing? Don't like it; looks like the devil. Youshan't stay with it; carry you away; take care of you myself. "

He then offered Cecilia his hand; but the black gentleman, raisinghimself upon his knees before her, paid her, in dumb shew, thehumblest devoirs, yet prevented her from removing. 

"Ah ha!" cried the chimney-sweeper, significantly nodding his head, "smell a rat! a sweetheart in disguise. No bamboozling! it won't do;a'n't so soon put upon. If you've got any thing to say, tell_me_, that's the way. Where's the cash? Got ever a_rental_? Are warm? That's the point; are warm?"

The fiend, without returning any answer, continued his homage toCecilia; at which the enraged chimney-sweeper exclaimed, "Come, comewith me! won't be imposed upon; an old fox, --understand trap!"

He then again held out his hand, but Cecilia, pointing to the fiend, answered, "How can I come, sir?"

"Shew you the way, " cried he, "shovel him off. " And taking hisshovel, he very roughly set about removing him. 

The fiend then began a yell so horrid, that it disturbed the wholecompany; but the chimney-sweeper, only saying, "Aye, aye, blacky, growl away, blacky, --makes no odds, " sturdily continued his work, and, as the fiend had no chance of resisting so coarse an antagonistwithout a serious struggle, he was presently compelled to change hisground. 

"Warm work!" cried the victorious chimney-sweeper, taking off hiswig, and wiping his head with the sleeves of his dress, "pure warmwork this!"

Cecilia, once again freed from her persecutor, instantly quitted herplace, almost equally desirous to escape the haughty Turk, who waspeculiarly her aversion, and the facetious chimney-sweeper, whosevicinity, either on account of his dress or his conversation, was byno means desirable. She was not, however, displeased that the whitedomino and the schoolmaster still continued to attend her. 

"Pray, look, " said the white domino, as they entered anotherapartment, "at that figure of Hope; is there any in the room half soexpressive of despondency?"

"The reason, however, " answered the schoolmaster, "is obvious; thatlight and beautiful silver anchor upon which she reclines presentsan occasion irresistible for an attitude of elegant dejection; andthe assumed character is always given up where an opportunity offersto display any beauty, or manifest any perfection in the dear properperson!"

"But why, " said Cecilia, "should she assume the character of_Hope_? Could she not have been equally dejected and equallyelegant as Niobe, or some tragedy queen?"

"But she does not assume the character, " answered the schoolmaster, "she does not even think of it: the dress is her object, and thatalone fills up all her ideas. Enquire of almost any body in the roomconcerning the persons they seem to represent, and you will findtheir ignorance more gross than you can imagine; they have not oncethought upon the subject; accident, or convenience, or caprice hasalone directed their choice. "

A tall and elegant youth now approached them, whose laurels and harpannounced Apollo. The white domino immediately enquired of him ifthe noise and turbulence of the company had any chance of beingstilled into silence and rapture by the divine music of the inspiredgod?

"No, " answered he, pointing to the room in which was erected the newgallery, and whence, as he spoke, issued the sound of a_hautboy_, "there is a flute playing there already. "

"O for a Midas, " cried the white domino, "to return to this leather-eared god the disgrace he received from him!"

They now proceeded to the apartment which had been lately fitted upfor refreshments, and which was so full of company that they enteredit with difficulty. And here they were again joined by Minerva, who, taking Cecilia's hand, said, "Lord, how glad I am you've got awayfrom that frightful black mask! I can't conceive who he is; nobodycan find out; it's monstrous odd, but he has not spoke a word allnight, and he makes such a shocking noise when people touch him, that I assure you it's enough to put one in a fright. "

"And pray, " cried the schoolmaster, disguising his voice, "howcamest thou to take the helmet of Minerva for a fool's cap?"

"Lord, I have not, " cried she, innocently, "why, the whole dress isMinerva's; don't you see?"

"My dear child, " answered he, "thou couldst as well with that littlefigure pass for a Goliath, as with that little wit for a Pallas. "

Their attention was now drawn from the goddess of wisdom to a madEdgar, who so vehemently ran about the room calling out "Poor Tom'sa cold!" that, in a short time, he was obliged to take off his mask, from an effect, not very delicate, of the heat!

Soon after, a gentleman desiring some lemonade whose toga spoke theconsular dignity, though his broken English betrayed a native ofFrance, the schoolmaster followed him, and, with reverence the mostprofound, began to address him in Latin; but, turning quick towardshim, he gaily said, "_Monsieur, j'ai l'honneur de representerCiceron, le grand Ciceron, pere de sa patrie! mais quoique j'ai cethonneur-la, je ne suit pas pedant!--mon dieu, Monsieur, je ne parleque le Francois dans la bonne compagnie_!" And, politely bowing, he went on. 

Just then Cecilia, while looking about the room for Mrs Harrel, found herself suddenly pinched by the cheek, and hastily turninground, perceived again her friend the chimney-sweeper, who, laughing, cried, "Only me! don't be frightened. Have something totell you;--had no luck!--got never a husband yet! can't find one!looked all over, too; sharp as a needle. Not one to be had! allcatched up!"

"I am glad to hear it, sir, " said Cecilia, somewhat vexed byobserving the white domino attentively listening; "and I hope, therefore, you will give yourself no farther trouble. "

"Pretty duck!" cried he, chucking her under the chin; "never mind, don't be cast down; get one at last. Leave it to me. Nothing under aplum; won't take up with less. Good-by, ducky, good-by! must go homenow, --begin to be nodding. "

And then, repeating his kind caresses, he walked away. 

"Do you think, then, " said the white domino, "more highly of MrBriggs for discernment and taste than of any body?"

"I hope not!" answered she, "for low indeed should I then think ofthe rest of the world!"

"The commission with which he is charged, " returned the domino, "hasthen misled me; I imagined discernment and taste might be necessaryingredients for making such a choice as your approbation wouldsanctify: but perhaps his skill in guarding against any fraud ordeduction in the stipulation he mentioned, may be all that isrequisite for the execution of his trust. "

"I understand very well, " said Cecilia, a little hurt, "the severityof your meaning; and if Mr Briggs had any commission but of his ownsuggestion, it would fill me with shame and confusion; but as thatis not the case, those at least are sensations which it cannot giveme. "

"My meaning, " cried the domino, with some earnestness, "should Iexpress it seriously, would but prove to you the respect andadmiration with which you have inspired me, and if indeed, as MrBriggs hinted, such a prize is to be purchased by riches, I knownot, from what I have seen of its merit, any sum I should thinkadequate to its value. "

"You are determined, I see, " said Cecilia, smiling, "to make mostliberal amends for your asperity. "

A loud clack of tongues now interrupted their discourse; and thedomino, at the desire of Cecilia, for whom he had procured a seat, went forward to enquire what was the matter. But scarce had he givenup his place a moment, before, to her great mortification, it wasoccupied by the fiend. 

Again, but with the same determined silence he had hithertopreserved, he made signs of obedience and homage, and her perplexityto conjecture who he could be, or what were his motives for thispersecution, became the more urgent as they seemed the less likelyto be satisfied. But the fiend, who was no other than Mr Monckton, had every instant less and less encouragement to make himself known:his plan had in nothing succeeded, and his provocation at itsfailure had caused him the bitterest disappointment; he hadintended, in the character of a tormentor, not only to pursue andhover around her himself, but he had also hoped, in the samecharacter, to have kept at a distance all other admirers: but theviolence with which he had over-acted his part, by raising herdisgust and the indignation of the company, rendered his viewswholly abortive while the consciousness of an extravagance forwhich, if discovered, he could assign no reason not liable to excitesuspicions of his secret motives, reduced him to guarding a painfuland most irksome silence the whole evening. And Cecilia, to whoseunsuspicious mind the idea of Mr Monckton had never occurred, addedcontinually to the cruelty of his situation, by an undisguisedabhorrence of his assiduity, as well as by a manifest preference tothe attendance of the white domino. All, therefore, that hisdisappointed scheme now left in his power, was to watch her motions, listen to her discourse, and inflict occasionally upon others somepart of the chagrin with which he was tormented himself. 

While they were in this situation, Harlequin, in consequence ofbeing ridiculed by the Turk for want of agility, offered to jumpover the new desert table, and desired to have a little spacecleared to give room for his motions. It was in vain the people whodistributed the refreshments, and who were placed at the other sideof the table, expostulated upon the danger of the experiment;Morrice had a rage of enterprise untameable, and, therefore, firsttaking a run, he attempted the leap. 

The consequence was such as might naturally be expected; he couldnot accomplish his purpose, but, finding himself falling, imprudently caught hold of the lately erected Awning, and pulled itentirely upon his own head, and with it the new contrived lights, which, in various forms, were fixed to it, and which all came downtogether. 

The mischief and confusion occasioned by this exploit were veryalarming, and almost dangerous; those who were near the tablesuffered most by the crush, but splinters of the glass flew yetfurther; and as the room, which was small, had been only lighted upby lamps hanging from the Awning, it was now in total darkness, except close to the door, which was still illuminated from theadjoining apartments. 

The clamour of Harlequin, who was covered with glass, papier-machee, lamps and oil, the screams of the ladies, the universal buz oftongues, and the struggle between the frighted crowd which wasenclosed to get out, and the curious crowd from the other apartmentsto get in, occasioned a disturbance and tumult equally noisy andconfused. But the most serious sufferer was the unfortunate fiend, who, being nearer the table than Cecilia, was so pressed upon by thenumbers which poured from it, that he found a separationunavoidable, and was unable, from the darkness and the throng, todiscover whether she was still in the same place, or had made herescape into another. 

She had, however, encountered the white domino, and, under hisprotection, was safely conveyed to a further part of the room. Herintention and desire were to quit it immediately, but at theremonstrance of her conductor, she consented to remain some timelonger. "The conflict at the door, " said he, "will quite overpoweryou. Stay here but a few minutes, and both parties will havestruggled themselves tired, and you may then go without difficulty. Meantime, can you not, by this faint light, suppose me one of yourguardians, Mr Briggs, for example, or, if he is too old for me, MrHarrel, and entrust yourself to my care?"

"You seem wonderfully well acquainted with my guardians, " saidCecilia; "I cannot imagine how you have had your intelligence. "

"Nor can I, " answered the domino, "imagine how Mr Briggs became soparticularly your favourite as to be entrusted with powers todispose of you. "

"You are mistaken indeed; he is entrusted with no powers but such ashis own fancy has suggested. "

"But how has Mr Delvile offended you, that with him only you seem tohave no commerce or communication?"

"Mr Delvile!" repeated Cecilia, still more surprised, "are you alsoacquainted with Mr Delvile?"

"He is certainly a man of fashion, " continued the domino, "and he isalso a man of honour; surely, then, he would be more pleasant forconfidence and consultation than one whose only notion of happinessis money, whose only idea of excellence is avarice, and whose onlyconception of sense is distrust!" Here a violent outcry againinterrupted their conversation; but not till Cecilia had satisfiedher doubts concerning the white domino, by conjecturing he was MrBelfield, who might easily, at the house of Mr Monckton, havegathered the little circumstances of her situation to which healluded, and whose size and figure exactly resembled those of hernew acquaintance. 

The author of the former disturbance was now the occasion of thepresent: the fiend, having vainly traversed the room in search ofCecilia, stumbled accidentally upon Harlequin, before he was freedfrom the relicks of his own mischief; and unable to resist thetemptation of opportunity and the impulse of revenge, he gave ventto the wrath so often excited by the blunders, forwardness, andtricks of Morrice, and inflicted upon him, with his own woodensword, which he seized for that purpose, a chastisement the mostserious and severe. 

Poor Harlequin, unable to imagine any reason for this violentattack, and already cut with the glass, and bruised with the fall, spared not his lungs in making known his disapprobation of suchtreatment: but the fiend, regardless either of his complaints or hisresistance, forbore not to belabour him till compelled by theentrance of people with lights. And then, after artfully playingsundry antics under pretence of still supporting his character, witha motion too sudden for prevention, and too rapid for pursuit, heescaped out of the room, and hurrying down stairs, threw himselfinto an hackney chair, which conveyed him to a place where heprivately changed his dress before he returned home, bitterlyrepenting the experiment he had made, and conscious too late that, had he appeared in a character he might have avowed, he could, without impropriety, have attended Cecilia the whole evening. Butsuch is deservedly the frequent fate of cunning, which, while itplots surprise and detection of others, commonly overshoots itsmark, and ends in its own disgrace. 

The introduction of the lights now making manifest the confusionwhich the frolic of Harlequin had occasioned, he was seized withsuch a dread of the resentment of Mr Harrel, that, forgetting blows, bruises, and wounds, not one of which were so frightful to him asreproof, he made the last exhibition of his agility by an abrupt andhasty retreat. 

He had, however, no reason for apprehension, since, in every thingthat regarded expence, Mr Harrel had no feeling, and his lady had nothought. 

The rooms now began to empty very fast, but among the few masks yetremaining, Cecilia again perceived Don Quixote; and while, inconjunction with the white domino, she was allowing him the praiseof having supported his character with more uniform propriety thanany other person in the assembly, she observed him taking off hismask for the convenience of drinking some lemonade, and, looking inhis face, found he was no other than Mr Belfield! Much astonished, and more than ever perplexed, she again turned to the white domino, who, seeing in her countenance a surprise of which he knew not thereason, said, half-laughing, "You think, perhaps, I shall never begone? And indeed I am almost of the same opinion; but what can I do?Instead of growing weary by the length of my stay, my reluctance toshorten it increases with its duration; and all the methods I take, whether by speaking to you or looking at you, with a view to besatiated, only double my eagerness for looking and listening again!I must go, however; and if I am happy, I may perhaps meet with youagain, --though, if I am wise, I shall never seek you more!"

And then, with the last stragglers that reluctantly disappeared, hemade his exit, leaving Cecilia greatly pleased with his conversationand his manners, but extremely perplexed to account for hisknowledge of her affairs and situation. 

The schoolmaster had already been gone some time. 

She was now earnestly pressed by the Harrels and Sir Robert, whostill remained, to send to a warehouse for a dress, and accompanythem to the Pantheon; but though she was not without someinclination to comply, in the hope of further prolonging theentertainment of an evening from which she had received muchpleasure, she disliked the attendance of the Baronet, and feltaverse to grant any request that he could make, and therefore shebegged they would excuse her; and having waited to see theirdresses, which were very superb, she retired to her own apartment. 

A great variety of conjecture upon all that had passed, now, andtill the moment that she sunk to rest, occupied her mind; theextraordinary persecution of the fiend excited at once her curiosityand amazement, while the knowledge of her affairs shown by the whitedomino surprised her not less, and interested her more. 

CHAPTER iv

AN AFFRAY. 

The next morning, during breakfast, Cecilia was informed that agentleman desired to speak with her. She begged permission of MrsHarrel to have him asked upstairs, and was not a little surprizedwhen he proved to be the same old gentleman whose singularexclamations had so much struck her at Mr Monckton's, and at therehearsal of Artaserse. 

Abruptly and with a stern aspect advancing to her, "You are rich, "he cried; "are you therefore worthless?"

"I hope not, " answered she, in some consternation; while Mrs Harrel, believing his intention was to rob them, ran precipitately to thebell, which she rang without ceasing till two or three servantshastened into the room; by which time, being less alarmed, she onlymade signs to them to stay, and stood quietly herself to wait whatwould follow. 

The old man, without attending to her, continued his dialogue withCecilia. 

"Know you then, " he said, "a blameless use of riches? such a use asnot only in the broad glare of day shall shine resplendent, but inthe darkness of midnight, and stillness of repose, shall give youreflections unembittered, and slumbers unbroken? tell me, know youthis use?"

"Not so well, perhaps, " answered she, "as I ought; but I am verywilling to learn better. "

"Begin, then, while yet youth and inexperience, new to thecallousness of power and affluence, leave something good to workupon: yesterday you saw the extravagance of luxury and folly; to-daylook deeper, and see, and learn to pity, the misery of disease andpenury. "

He then put into her hand a paper which contained a most affectingaccount of the misery to which a poor and wretched family had beenreduced, by sickness and various other misfortunes. 

Cecilia, "open as day to melting charity, " having hastily perusedit, took out her purse, and offering to him three guineas, said, "You must direct me, sir, what to give if this is insufficient. "

"Hast thou so much heart?" cried he, with emotion, "and has fortune, though it has cursed thee with the temptation of prosperity, not yetrooted from thy mind its native benevolence? I return in part thyliberal contribution; this, " taking one guinea, "doubles myexpectations; I will not, by making thy charity distress thee, accelerate the fatal hour of hardness and degeneracy. "

He was then going; but Cecilia, following him, said "No, take itall! Who should assist the poor if I will not? Rich, withoutconnections; powerful, without wants; upon whom have they any claimif not upon me?"

"True, " cried he, receiving the rest, "and wise as true. Give, therefore, whilst yet thou hast the heart to give, and make, in thydays of innocence and kindness, some interest with Heaven and thepoor!"

And then he disappeared. 

"Why, my dear, cried Mrs Harrel, "what could induce you to give theman so much money? Don't you see he is crazy? I dare say he wouldhave been just as well contented with sixpence. "

"I know not what he is, " said Cecilia, "but his manners are not moresingular than his sentiments are affecting; and if he is actuated bycharity to raise subscriptions for the indigent, he can surely applyto no one who ought so readily to contribute as myself. "

Mr Harrel then came in, and his lady most eagerly told him thetransaction. 

"Scandalous!" he exclaimed; "why, this is no better than being ahousebreaker! Pray give orders never to admit him again. Threeguineas! I never heard so impudent a thing in my life! Indeed, MissBeverley, you must be more discreet in future, you will else beruined before you know where you are. "

"Thus it is, " said Cecilia, half smiling, "that we can all lectureone another! to-day you recommend economy to me; yesterday I withdifficulty forbore recommending it to you. "

"Nay, " answered he, "that was quite another matter; expence incurredin the common way of a man's living is quite another thing to anextortion of this sort. "

"It is another thing indeed, " said she, "but I know not that it istherefore a better. "

Mr Harrel made no answer: and Cecilia, privately moralizing upon thedifferent estimates of expence and economy made by the dissipatedand the charitable, soon retired to her own apartment, determinedfirmly to adhere to her lately adopted plan, and hoping, by theassistance of her new and very singular monitor, to extend herpractice of doing good, by enlarging her knowledge of distress. 

Objects are, however, never wanting for the exercise of benevolence;report soon published her liberality, and those who wished tobelieve it, failed not to enquire into its truth. She was soon atthe head of a little band of pensioners, and, never satisfied withthe generosity of her donations, found in a very short time that thecommon allowance of her guardians was scarce adequate to the callsof her munificence. 

And thus, in acts of goodness and charity, passed undisturbedanother week of the life of Cecilia: but when the fervour of self-approbation lost its novelty, the pleasure with which her new planwas begun first subsided into tranquillity, and then sunk intolanguor. To a heart formed for friendship and affection the charmsof solitude are very short-lived; and though she had sickened of theturbulence of perpetual company, she now wearied of passing all hertime by herself, and sighed for the comfort of society and therelief of communication. But she saw with astonishment thedifficulty with which this was to be obtained: the endlesssuccession of diversions, the continual rotation of assemblies, thenumerousness of splendid engagements, of which, while every onecomplained, every one was proud to boast, so effectually impededprivate meetings and friendly intercourse, that, whichever way sheturned herself, all commerce seemed impracticable, but such aseither led to dissipation, or accidentally flowed from it. 

Yet, finding the error into which her ardour of reformation hadhurried her, and that a rigid seclusion from company was productiveof a lassitude as little favourable to active virtue as dissipationitself, she resolved to soften her plan, and by mingling amusementwith benevolence, to try, at least, to approach that golden mean, which, like the philosopher's stone, always eludes our grasp, yetalways invites our wishes. 

For this purpose she desired to attend Mrs Harrel to the next Operathat should be represented. 

The following Saturday, therefore, she accompanied that lady and MrsMears to the Haymarket, escorted by Mr Arnott. 

They were very late; the Opera was begun, and even in the lobby thecrowd was so great that their passage was obstructed. Here they werepresently accosted by Miss Larolles, who, running up to Cecilia andtaking her hand, said, "Lord, you can't conceive how glad I am tosee you! why, my dear creature, where have you hid yourself thesetwenty ages? You are quite in luck in coming to-night, I assure you;it's the best Opera we have had this season: there's such amonstrous crowd there's no stirring. We shan't get in this halfhour. The coffee-room is quite full; only come and see; is it notdelightful?"

This intimation was sufficient for Mrs Harrel, whose love of theOpera was merely a love of company, fashion, and shew; and thereforeto the coffee-room she readily led the way. 

And here Cecilia found rather the appearance of a brilliant assemblyof ladies and gentlemen, collected merely to see and to entertainone another, than of distinct and casual parties, mixing solely fromnecessity, and waiting only for room to enter a theatre. 

The first person that addressed them was Captain Aresby, who, withhis usual delicate languishment, smiled upon Cecilia, and softlywhispering, "How divinely you look to-night!" proceeded to pay hiscompliments to some other ladies. 

"Do, pray, now, " cried Miss Larolles, "observe Mr Meadows! only justsee where he has fixed himself! in the very best place in the room, and keeping the fire from every body! I do assure you that's alwayshis way, and it's monstrous provoking, for if one's ever so cold, helollops so, that one's quite starved. But you must know there'sanother thing he does that is quite as bad, for if he gets a seat, he never offers to move, if he sees one sinking with fatigue. Andbesides, if one is waiting for one's carriage two hours together, hemakes it a rule never to stir a step to see for it. Only think howmonstrous!"

"These are heavy complaints, indeed, " said Cecilia, looking at himattentively; "I should have expected from his appearance a verydifferent account of his gallantry, for he seems dressed with morestudied elegance than anybody here. "

"O yes, " cried Miss Larolles, "he is the sweetest dresser in theworld; he has the most delightful taste you can conceive, nobody hashalf so good a fancy. I assure you it's a great thing to be spoke toby him: we are all of us quite angry when he won't take any noticeof us. "

"Is your anger, " said Cecilia, laughing, "in honour of himself or ofhis coat?"

"Why, Lord, don't you know all this time that he is an_ennuye_?

"I know, at least, " answered Cecilia, "that he would soon make oneof me. "

"O, but one is never affronted with an _ennuye_, if he is everso provoking, because one always knows what it means. "

"Is he agreeable?"

"Why, to tell you the truth, --but pray now, don't mention it, --Ithink him most excessive disagreeable! He yawns in one's face everytime one looks at him. I assure you sometimes I expect to see himfall fast asleep while I am talking to him, for he is so immenselyabsent he don't hear one half that one says; only conceive howhorrid!"

"But why, then, do you encourage him? why do you take any notice ofhim?"

"O, every body does, I assure you, else I would not for the world;but he is so courted you have no idea. However, of all things let meadvise you never to dance with him; I did once myself, and I declareI was quite distressed to death the whole time, for he was takenwith such a fit of absence he knew nothing he was about, sometimesskipping and jumping with all the violence in the world, just as ifhe only danced for exercise, and sometimes standing quite still, orlolling against the wainscoat and gaping, and taking no more noticeof me than if he had never seen me in his life!"

The Captain now, again advancing to Cecilia, said, "So you would notdo us the honour to try the masquerade at the Pantheon? however, Ihear you had a very brilliant spectacle at Mr Harrel's. I was quite_au desespoir_ that I could not get there. I did _monpossible_, but it was quite beyond me. "

"We should have been very happy, " said Mrs Harrel, "to have seenyou; I assure you we had some excellent masks. "

"So I have heard _partout_, and I am reduced to despair that Icould not have the honour of sliding in. But I was _accable_with affairs all day. Nothing could be so mortifying. "

Cecilia now, growing very impatient to hear the Opera, begged toknow if they might not make a trial to get into the pit?

"I fear, " said the Captain, smiling as they passed him, withoutoffering any assistance, "you will find it extreme petrifying; formy part, I confess I am not upon the principle of crowding. "

The ladies, however, accompanied by Mr Arnott, made the attempt, andsoon found, according to the custom of report, that the difficulty, for the pleasure of talking of it, had been considerablyexaggerated. They were separated, indeed, but their accommodationwas tolerably good. 

Cecilia was much vexed to find the first act of the Opera almostover; but she was soon still more dissatisfied when she discoveredthat she had no chance of hearing the little which remained: theplace she had happened to find vacant was next to a party of youngladies, who were so earnestly engaged in their own discourse, thatthey listened not to a note of the Opera, and so infinitely divertedwith their own witticisms, that their tittering and loquacityallowed no one in their vicinity to hear better than themselves. Cecilia tried in vain to confine her attention to the singers; shewas distant from the stage, and to them she was near, and herfruitless attempts all ended in chagrin and impatience. 

At length she resolved to make an effort for entertainment inanother way, and since the expectations which brought her to theOpera were destroyed, to try by listening to her fair neighbours, whether those who occasioned her disappointment could make her anyamends. 

For this purpose she turned to them wholly; yet was at first in nolittle perplexity to understand what was going forward, since souniversal was the eagerness for talking, and so insurmountable theantipathy to listening, that every one seemed to have her wishesbounded by a continual utterance of words, without waiting for anyanswer, or scarce even desiring to be heard. 

But when, somewhat more used to their dialect and manner, she beganbetter to comprehend their discourse, wretchedly indeed did itsupply to her the loss of the Opera. She heard nothing butdescriptions of trimmings, and complaints of hair-dressers, hints ofconquest that teemed with vanity, and histories of engagements whichwere inflated with exultation. 

At the end of the act, by the crowding forward of the gentlemen tosee the dance, Mrs Harrel had an opportunity of making room for herby herself, and she had then some reason to expect hearing the restof the Opera in peace, for the company before her, consistingentirely of young men, seemed, even during the dance, fearful ofspeaking, lest their attention should be drawn for a moment from thestage. 

But to her infinite surprize, no sooner was the second act begun, than their attention ended! they turned from the performers to eachother, and entered into a whispering but gay conversation, which, though not loud enough to disturb the audience in general, kept inthe ears of their neighbours a buzzing which interrupted allpleasure from the representation. Of this effect of their gaiety itseemed uncertain whether they were conscious, but very evident thatthey were totally careless. 

The desperate resource which she had tried during the first act, ofseeking entertainment from the very conversation which prevented herenjoying it, was not now even in her power: for these gentlemen, though as negligent as the young ladies had been whom theydisturbed, were much more cautious whom they instructed: theirlanguage was ambiguous, and their terms, to Cecilia, wereunintelligible: their subjects, indeed, required some discretion, being nothing less than a ludicrous calculation of the age andduration of jointured widows, and of the chances and expectations ofunmarried young ladies. 

But what more even than their talking provoked her, was finding thatthe moment the act was over, when she cared not if theirvociferation had been incessant, one of them called out, "Come, bequiet, the dance is begun;" and then they were again all silentattention!

In the third act, however, she was more fortunate; the gentlemenagain changed their places, and they were succeeded by others whocame to the Opera not to hear themselves but the performers: and assoon as she was permitted to listen, the voice of Pacchierotti tookfrom her all desire to hear any thing but itself. 

During the last dance she was discovered by Sir Robert Floyer, who, sauntering down fop's alley, stationed himself by her side, andwhenever the _figurante_ relieved the principal dancers, turnedhis eyes from the stage to her face, as better worth his notice, andequally destined for his amusement. 

Mr Monckton, too, who for some time had seen and watched her, nowapproached; he had observed with much satisfaction that her wholemind had been intent upon the performance, yet still the familiarityof Sir Robert Floyer's admiration disturbed and perplexed him; hedetermined, therefore, to make an effort to satisfy his doubts byexamining into his intentions: and, taking him apart, before thedance was quite over, "Well, " he said, "who is so handsome here asHarrel's ward?"

"Yes, " answered he, calmly, "she is handsome, but I don't like herexpression. "

"No? why, what is the fault of it?"

"Proud, cursed proud. It is not the sort of woman I like. If onesays a civil thing to her, she only wishes one at the devil forone's pains. "

"O, you have tried her, then, have you? why, you are not, ingeneral, much given to say civil things. "

"Yes, you know, I said something of that sort to her once aboutJuliet, at the rehearsal. Was not you by?"

"What, then, was that all? and did you imagine one compliment woulddo your business with her?"

"O, hang it, who ever dreams of complimenting the women now? that'sall at an end. "

"You won't find she thinks so, though; for, as you well say, herpride is insufferable, and I, who have long known her, can assureyou it does not diminish upon intimacy. "

"Perhaps not, --but there's very pretty picking in 3000 pounds perannum! one would not think much of a little encumbrance upon suchan estate. "

"Are you quite sure the estate is so considerable? Report ismightily given to magnify. "

"O, I have pretty good intelligence: though, after all, I don't knowbut I may be off; she'll take a confounded deal of time andtrouble. "

Monckton, too much a man of interest and of the world to cherishthat delicacy which covets universal admiration for the object ofits fondness, then artfully enlarged upon the obstacles he alreadyapprehended, and insinuated such others as he believed would be mostlikely to intimidate him. But his subtlety was lost upon theimpenetrable Baronet, who possessed that hard insensibility whichobstinately pursues its own course, deaf to what is said, andindifferent to what is thought. 

Meanwhile the ladies were now making way to the coffee-room, thoughvery slowly on account of the crowd; and just as they got near thelobby, Cecilia perceived Mr Belfield, who, immediately makinghimself known to her, was offering his service to hand her out ofthe pit, when Sir Robert Floyer, not seeing or not heeding him, pressed forward, and said, "Will you let me have the honour, MissBeverley, of taking care of you?"

Cecilia, to whom he grew daily more disagreeable, coldly declinedhis assistance, while she readily accepted that which had first beenoffered her by Mr Belfield. 

The haughty Baronet, extremely nettled, forced his way on, andrudely stalking up to Mr Belfield, motioned with his hand for roomto pass him, and said, "Make way, sir!"

"Make way for _me_, Sir!" cried Belfield, opposing him with onehand, while with the other he held Cecilia. 

"You, Sir? and who are you, Sir?" demanded the Baronet, disdainfully. 

"Of that, Sir, I shall give you an account whenever you please, "answered Belfield, with equal scorn. 

"What the devil do you mean, Sir?"

"Nothing very difficult to be understood, " replied Belfield, andattempted to draw on Cecilia, who, much alarmed, was shrinking back. 

Sir Robert then, swelling with rage, reproachfully turned to her, and said, "Will you suffer such an impertinent fellow as that, MissBeverley, to have the honour of taking your hand?"

Belfield, with great indignation, demanded what he meant by the termimpertinent fellow; and Sir Robert yet more insolently repeated it:Cecilia, extremely shocked, earnestly besought them both to bequiet; but Belfield, at the repetition of this insult, hastily letgo her hand and put his own upon his sword, whilst Sir Robert, taking advantage of his situation in being a step higher than hisantagonist, fiercely pushed him back, and descended into the lobby. 

Belfield, enraged beyond endurance, instantly drew his sword, andSir Robert was preparing to follow his example, when Cecilia, in anagony of fright, called out, "Good Heaven! will nobody interfere?"And then a young man, forcing his way through the crowd, exclaimed, "For shame, for shame, gentlemen! is this a place for suchviolence?"

Belfield, endeavouring to recover himself, put up his sword, and, though in a voice half choaked with passion, said, "I thank you, Sir! I was off my guard. I beg pardon of the whole company. "

Then, walking up to Sir Robert, he put into his hand a card with hisname and direction, saying, "With you, Sir, I shall be happy tosettle what apologies are necessary at your first leisure;" andhurried away. 

Sir Robert, exclaiming aloud that he should soon teach him to whomhe had been so impertinent, was immediately going to follow him, when the affrighted Cecilia again called out aloud, "Oh, stop him!--good God! will nobody stop him!"

The rapidity with which this angry scene had passed had filled herwith amazement, and the evident resentment of the Baronet upon herrefusing his assistance, gave her an immediate consciousness thatshe was herself the real cause of the quarrel; while the manner inwhich he was preparing to follow Mr Belfield convinced her of thedesperate scene which was likely to succeed; fear, therefore, overcoming every other feeling, forced from her this exclamationbefore she knew what she said. 

The moment she had spoken, the young man who had already interposedagain rushed forward, and seizing Sir Robert by the arm, warmlyremonstrated against the violence of his proceedings, and beingpresently seconded by other gentlemen, almost compelled him to giveup his design. 

Then, hastening to Cecilia, "Be not alarmed, madam, " he cried, "allis over, and every body is safe. "

Cecilia, finding herself thus addressed by a gentleman she had neverbefore seen, felt extremely ashamed of having rendered her interestin the debate so apparent; she courtsied to him in some confusion, and taking hold of Mrs Harrel's arm, hurried her back into the pit, in order to quit a crowd, of which she now found herself theprincipal object. 

Curiosity, however, was universally excited, and her retreat servedbut to inflame it: some of the ladies, and most of the gentlemen, upon various pretences, returned into the pit merely to look at her, and in a few minutes the report was current that the young lady whohad been the occasion of the quarrel, was dying with love for SirRobert Floyer. 

Mr Monckton, who had kept by her side during the whole affair, feltthunderstruck by the emotion she had shewn; Mr Arnott too, who hadnever quitted her, wished himself exposed to the same danger as SirRobert, so that he might be honoured with the same concern: but theywere both too much the dupes of their own apprehensions andjealousy, to perceive that what they instantly imputed to fondness, proceeded simply from general humanity, accidentally united with theconsciousness of being accessary to the quarrel. 

The young stranger who had officiated as mediator between thedisputants, in a few moments followed her with a glass of water, which he had brought from the coffee-room, begging her to drink itand compose herself. 

Cecilia, though she declined his civility with more vexation thangratitude, perceived, as she raised her eyes to thank him, that hernew friend was a young man very strikingly elegant in his addressand appearance. 

Miss Larolles next, who, with her party, came back into the pit, ranup to Cecilia, crying, "O my dear creature, what a monstrousshocking thing! You've no Idea how I am frightened; do you know Ihappened to be quite at the further end of the coffee-room when itbegan, and I could not get out to see what was the matter for tenages; only conceive what a situation!"

"Would your fright, then, have been less, " said Cecilia, "had youbeen nearer the danger?"

"O Lord no, for when I came within sight I was fifty times worse! Igave such a monstrous scream, that it quite made Mr Meadows start. Idare say he'll tell me of it these hundred years: but really when Isaw them draw their swords I thought I should have died; I was soamazingly surprized you've no notion. "

Here she was interrupted by the re-appearance of the activestranger, who again advancing to Cecilia, said, "I am in doubtwhether the efforts I make to revive will please or irritate you, but though you rejected the last cordial I ventured to present you, perhaps you will look with a more favourable eye towards that ofwhich I am now the herald. "

Cecilia then, casting her eyes around, saw that he was followed bySir Robert Floyer. Full of displeasure both at this introduction andat his presence, she turned hastily to Mr Arnott, and entreated himto enquire if the carriage was not yet ready. 

Sir Robert, looking at her with all the exultation of new-raisedvanity, said, with more softness than he had ever before addressedher, "Have you been frightened?"

"Every body, I believe was frightened, " answered Cecilia, with anair of dignity intended to check his rising expectations. 

"There was no sort of cause, " answered he; "the fellow did not knowwhom he spoke [to], that was all. "

"Lord, Sir Robert, " cried Miss Larolles, "how could you be soshocking as to draw your sword? you can't conceive how horrid itlooked. "

"Why I did not draw my sword, " cried he, "I only had my hand on thehilt. "

"Lord, did not you, indeed! well, every body said you did, and I'msure I thought I saw five-and-twenty swords all at once. I thoughtone of you would be killed every moment. It was horrid disagreeable, I assure you. "

Sir Robert was now called away by some gentlemen; and Mr Monckton, earnest to be better informed of Cecilia's real sentiments, said, with affected concern, "At present this matter is merely ridiculous;I am sorry to think in how short a time it may become moreimportant. "

"Surely, " cried Cecilia with quickness, "some of their friends willinterfere! surely upon so trifling a subject they will not be somad, so inexcusable, as to proceed to more serious resentment!"

"Whichever of them, " said the stranger, "is most honoured by thisanxiety, will be mad indeed to risk a life so valued!"

"Cannot you, Mr Monckton, " continued Cecilia, too much alarmed toregard this insinuation, "speak with Mr Belfield? You are acquaintedwith him, I know; is it impossible you can follow him?"

"I will with pleasure do whatever you wish; but still if SirRobert--"

"O, as to Sir Robert, Mr Harrel, I am very sure, will undertake him;I will try to see him to-night myself, and entreat him to exert allhis influence. "

"Ah, madam, " cried the stranger, archly, and lowering his voice, "those _French beads_ and _Bristol stones_ have not, Ifind, shone in vain!"

At these words Cecilia recognised her white domino acquaintance atthe masquerade; she had before recollected his voice, but was toomuch perturbed to consider where or when she had heard it. 

"If Mr Briggs, " continued he, "does not speedily come forth with hisplum friend, before the glittering of swords and spears is joined tothat of jewels, the glare will be so resplendent, that he will fearto come within the influence of its rays. Though, perhaps, he mayonly think the stronger the light, the better he shall see to counthis guineas: for as

 '---in ten thousand pounds Ten thousand charms are centred, '

in an hundred thousand, the charms may have such magic power, thathe may defy the united efforts of tinsel and knight-errantry todeliver you from the golden spell. "

Here the Captain, advancing to Cecilia, said, "I have been lookingfor you in vain _partout_, but the crowd has been so_accablant_ I was almost reduced to despair. Give me leave tohope you are now recovered from the _horreur_ of this little_fracas_?"

Mr Arnott then brought intelligence that the carriage was ready. Cecilia, glad to be gone, instantly hastened to it; and, as she wasconducted by Mr Monckton, most earnestly entreated him to take anactive part, in endeavouring to prevent the fatal consequences withwhich the quarrel seemed likely to terminate. 

CHAPTER v

A FASHIONABLE FRIEND. 

As soon as they returned home, Cecilia begged Mrs Harrel not to losea moment before she tried to acquaint Mr Harrel with the state ofthe affair. But that lady was too helpless to know in what manner toset about it; she could not tell where he was, she could notconjecture where he might be. 

Cecilia then rang for his own man, and upon enquiry, heard that hewas, in all probability, at Brookes's in St James's-Street. 

She then begged Mrs Harrel would write to him. 

Mrs Harrel knew not what to say. 

Cecilia therefore, equally quick in forming and executing herdesigns, wrote to him herself, and entreated that without losing aninstant he would find out his friend Sir Robert Floyer, andendeavour to effect an accommodation between him and Mr Belfield, with whom he had had a dispute at the Opera-house. 

The man soon returned with an answer that Mr Harrel would not failto obey her commands. 

She determined to sit up till he came home in order to learn theevent of the negociation. She considered herself as the efficientcause of the quarrel, yet scarce knew how or in what to blameherself; the behaviour of Sir Robert had always been offensive toher; she disliked his manners, and detested his boldness; and shehad already shewn her intention to accept the assistance of MrBelfield before he had followed her with an offer of his own. Shewas uncertain, indeed, whether he had remarked what had passed, butshe had reason to think that, so circumstanced, to have changed herpurpose, would have been construed into an encouragement that mighthave authorised his future presumption of her favour. All she couldfind to regret with regard to herself, was wanting the presence ofmind to have refused the civilities of both. 

Mrs Harrel, though really sorry at the state of the affair, regardedherself as so entirely unconcerned in it, that, easily wearied whenout of company, she soon grew sleepy, and retired to her own room. 

The anxious Cecilia, hoping every instant the return of Mr Harrel, sat up by herself: but it was not till near four o'clock in themorning that he made his appearance. 

"Well, sir, " cried she, the moment she saw him, "I fear by yourcoming home so late you have had much trouble, but I hope it hasbeen successful?"

Great, however, was her mortification when he answered that he hadnot even seen the Baronet, having been engaged himself in soparticular a manner, that he could not possibly break from his partytill past three o'clock, at which time he drove to the house of SirRobert, but heard that he was not yet come home. 

Cecilia, though much disgusted by such a specimen of insensibilitytowards a man whom he pretended to call his friend, would not leavehim till he had promised to arise as soon as it was light, and makean effort to recover the time lost. 

She was now no longer surprised either at the debts of Mr Harrel, orat his _particular occasions_ for money. She was convinced hespent half the night in gaming, and the consequences, howeverdreadful, were but natural. That Sir Robert Floyer also did the samewas a matter of much less importance to her, but that the life ofany man should through her means be endangered, disturbed herinexpressibly. 

She went, however, to bed, but arose again at six o'clock, anddressed herself by candle light. In an hour's time she sent toenquire if Mr Harrel was stirring, and hearing he was asleep, gaveorders to have him called. Yet he did not rise till eight o'clock, nor could all her messages or expostulations drive him out of thehouse till nine. 

He was scarcely gone before Mr Monckton arrived, who now for thefirst time had the satisfaction of finding her alone. 

"You are very good for coming so early, " cried she; "have you seenMr Belfield? Have you had any conversation with him?"

Alarmed at her eagerness, and still more at seeing by her looks thesleepless night she had passed, he made at first no reply; and when, with increasing impatience, she repeated her question, he only said, "Has Belfield ever visited you since he had the honour of meetingyou at my house?"

"No, never. "

"Have you seen him often in public?"

"No, I have never seen him at all but the evening Mrs Harrelreceived masks, and last night at the Opera. "

"Is it, then, for the safety of Sir Robert you are so extremelyanxious?"

"It is for the safety of both; the cause of their quarrel was sotrifling, that I cannot bear to think its consequence should beserious. "

"But do you not wish better to one of them than to the other?"

"As a matter of justice I do, but not from any partiality: SirRobert was undoubtedly the aggressor, and Mr Belfield, though atfirst too fiery, was certainly ill-used. "

The candour of this speech recovered Mr Monckton from hisapprehensions; and, carefully observing her looks while he spoke, hegave her the following account. 

That he had hastened to Belfield's lodgings the moment he left theOpera-house, and, after repeated denials, absolutely forced himselfinto his room, where he was quite alone, and in much agitation: heconversed with him for more than an hour upon the subject of thequarrel, but found he so warmly resented the personal insult givenhim by Sir Robert, that no remonstrance had any effect in making himalter his resolution of demanding satisfaction. 

"And could you bring him to consent to no compromise before you lefthim?" cried Cecilia. 

"No; for before I got to him--the challenge had been sent. "

"The challenge! good heaven!--and do you know the event?"

"I called again this morning at his lodgings, but he was notreturned home. "

"And was it impossible to follow him? Were there no means todiscover whither he was gone?"

"None; to elude all pursuit, he went out before any body in thehouse was stirring, and took his servant with him. "

"Have you, then, been to Sir Robert?"

"I have been to Cavendish-Square, but there, it seems, he has notappeared all night; I traced him, through his servants, from theOpera to a gaminghouse, where I found he had amused himself tillthis morning. "

The uneasiness of Cecilia now encreased every moment; and MrMonckton, seeing he had no other chance of satisfying her, offeredhis service to go again in search of both the gentlemen, andendeavour to bring her better information. She accepted the proposalwith gratitude, and he departed. 

Soon after she was joined by Mr Arnott, who, though seized with allthe horrors of jealousy at sight of her apprehensions, was sodesirous to relieve them, that without even making any merit ofobliging her, he almost instantly set out upon the same errand thatemployed Mr Monckton, and determined not to mention his design tillhe found whether it would enable him to bring her good tidings. 

He was scarce gone when she was told that Mr Delvile begged to havethe honour of speaking to her. Surprised at this condescension, shedesired he might immediately be admitted; but much was her surpriseaugmented, when, instead of seeing her ostentatious guardian, sheagain beheld her masquerade friend, the white domino. 

He entreated her pardon for an intrusion neither authorised byacquaintance nor by business, though somewhat, he hoped, palliated, by his near connection with one who was privileged to take aninterest in her affairs: and then, hastening to the motives whichhad occasioned his visit, "when I had the honour, " he said, "ofseeing you last night at the Opera-house, the dispute which had justhappened between two gentlemen, seemed to give you an uneasinesswhich could not but be painful to all who observed it, and as amongthat number I was not the least moved, you will forgive, I hope, myeagerness to be the first to bring you intelligence that nothingfatal has happened, or is likely to happen. "

"You do me, sir, " said Cecilia, "much honour; and indeed you relieveme from a suspense extremely disagreeable. The accommodation, Isuppose, was brought about this morning?"

"I find, " answered he, smiling, "you now expect too much; but hopeis never so elastic as when it springs from the ruins of terror. "

"What then is the matter? Are they at last, not safe?"

"Yes, perfectly safe; but I cannot tell you they have never been indanger. "

"Well, if it is now over I am contented: but you will very muchoblige me, sir, if you will inform me what has passed. "

"You oblige me, madam, by the honour of your commands. I saw but toomuch reason to apprehend that measures the most violent would followthe affray of last night; yet as I found that the quarrel had beenaccidental, and the offence unpremeditated, I thought it notabsolutely impossible that an expeditious mediation might effect acompromise: at least it was worth trying; for though wrath slowlykindled or long nourished is sullen and intractable, the suddenanger that has not had time to impress the mind with a deep sense ofinjury, will, when gently managed, be sometimes appeased with thesame quickness it is excited: I hoped, therefore, that some triflingconcession from Sir Robert, as the aggressor, --"

"Ah sir!" cried Cecilia, "that, I fear, was not to be obtained!"

"Not by me, I must own, " he answered; "but I was not willing tothink of the difficulty, and therefore ventured to make theproposal: nor did I leave the Opera-house till I had used everypossible argument to persuade Sir Robert an apology would neitherstain his courage nor his reputation. But his spirit brooked not thehumiliation. "

"Spirit!" cried Cecilia, "how mild a word! What, then, could poor MrBelfield resolve upon?"

"That, I believe, took him very little time to decide. I discovered, by means of a gentleman at the Opera who was acquainted with him, where he lived, and I waited upon him with an intention to offer myservices towards settling the affair by arbitration: for since youcall him poor Mr Belfield, I think you will permit me, withoutoffence to his antagonist, to own that his gallantry, though tooimpetuous for commendation, engaged me in his interest. "

"I hope you don't think, " cried Cecilia, "that an offence to hisantagonist must necessarily be an offence to me?"

"Whatever I may have thought, " answered he, looking at her withevident surprise, "I certainly did not wish that a sympathyoffensive and defensive had been concluded between you. I could not, however, gain access to Mr Belfield last night, but the affair dweltupon my mind, and this morning I called at his lodging as soon as itwas light. "

"How good you have been!" cried Cecilia; "your kind offices havenot, I hope, all proved ineffectual!"

"So valorous a Don Quixote, " returned he, laughing, "certainlymerited a faithful Esquire! He was, however, gone out, and nobodyknew whither. About half an hour ago I called upon him again; he wasthen just returned home. "

"Well, Sir?"

"I saw him; the affair was over; and in a short time he will beable, if you will allow him so much honour, to thank you for theseenquiries. "

"He is then wounded?"

"He is a little hurt, but Sir Robert is perfectly safe. Belfieldfired first, and missed; the Baronet was not so successless. "

"I am grieved to hear it, indeed! And where is the wound?"

"The ball entered his right side, and the moment he felt it, hefired his second pistol in the air. This I heard from his servant. He was brought home carefully and slowly; no surgeon had been uponthe spot, but one was called to him immediately. I stayed to enquirehis opinion after the wound had been dressed: he told me he hadextracted the ball, and assured me Mr Belfield was not in anydanger. Your alarm, madam, last night, which had always been presentto me, then encouraged me to take the liberty of waiting upon you;for I concluded you could yet have had no certain intelligence, andthought it best to let the plain and simple fact out-run theprobable exaggeration of rumour. "

Cecilia thanked him for his attention, and Mrs Harrel then makingher appearance, he arose and said, "Had my father known the honour Ihave had this morning of waiting upon Miss Beverley, I am sure Ishould have been charged with his compliments, and such a commissionwould somewhat have lessened the presumption of this visit; but Ifeared lest while I should be making interest for my credentials, the pretence of my embassy might be lost, and other couriers, lessscrupulous, might obtain previous audiences, and anticipate mydispatches. "

He then took his leave. 

"This white domino, at last then, " said Cecilia, "is the son of MrDelvile! and thence the knowledge of my situation which gave me somuch surprise:--a son how infinitely unlike his father!"

"Yes, " said Mrs Harrel, "and as unlike his mother too, for I assureyou she is more proud and haughty even than the old gentleman. Ihate the very sight of her, for she keeps every body in such awethat there's nothing but restraint in her presence. But the son is avery pretty young man, and much admired; though I have only seen himin public, for none of the family visit here. "

Mr Monckton, who now soon returned, was not a little surprised tofind that all the intelligence he meant to communicate was alreadyknown: and not the more pleased to hear that the white domino, towhom before he owed no good-will, had thus officiously preceded him. 

Mr Arnott, who also came just after him, had been so littlesatisfied with the result of his enquiries, that from the fear ofencreasing Cecilia's uneasiness, he determined not to make knownwhither he had been; but he soon found his forbearance was of noavail, as she was already acquainted with the duel and itsconsequences. Yet his unremitting desire to oblige her urged himtwice in the course of the same day to again call at Mr Belfield'slodgings, in order to bring her thence fresh and unsolicitedintelligence. 

Before breakfast was quite over, Miss Larolles, out of breath witheagerness, came to tell the news of the duel, in her way to church, as it was Sunday morning! and soon after Mrs Mears, who also wasfollowed by other ladies, brought the same account, which by all wasaddressed to Cecilia, with expressions of concern that convincedher, to her infinite vexation, she was generally regarded as theperson chiefly interested in the accident. 

Mr Harrel did not return till late, but then seemed in very highspirits: "Miss Beverley, " he cried, "I bring you news that willrepay all your fright; Sir Robert is not only safe, but is come offconqueror. "

"I am very sorry, Sir, " answered Cecilia, extremely provoked to bethus congratulated, "that any body conquered, or any body wasvanquished. "

"There is no need for sorrow, " cried Mr Harrel, "or for any thingbut joy, for he has not killed his man; the victory, therefore, willneither cost him a flight nor a trial. To-day he means to wait uponyou, and lay his laurels at your feet. "

"He means, then, to take very fruitless trouble, " said Cecilia, "forI have not any ambition to be so honoured. "

"Ah, Miss Beverley, " returned he, laughing, "this won't do now! itmight have passed a little while ago, but it won't do now, I promiseyou!"

Cecilia, though much displeased by this accusation, found thatdisclaiming it only excited further raillery, and thereforeprevailed upon herself to give him a quiet hearing, and scarce anyreply. 

At dinner, when Sir Robert arrived, the dislike she had originallytaken to him, encreased already into disgust by his behaviour thepreceding evening, was now fixed into the strongest aversion by thehorror she conceived of his fierceness, and the indignation she feltexcited by his arrogance. He seemed, from the success of this duel, to think himself raised to the highest pinnacle of human glory;triumph sat exulting on his brow; he looked down on whoever hedeigned to look at all, and shewed that he thought his notice anhonour, however imperious the manner in which it was accorded. 

Upon Cecilia, however, he cast an eye of more complacency; he nowbelieved her subdued, and his vanity revelled in the belief: heranxiety had so thoroughly satisfied him of her love, that she hadhardly the power left to undeceive him; her silence he onlyattributed to admiration, her coldness to fear, and her reserve toshame. 

Sickened by insolence so undisguised and unauthorised, and incensedat the triumph of his successful brutality, Cecilia with pain kepther seat, and with vexation reflected upon the necessity she wasunder of passing so large a portion of her time in company to whichshe was so extremely averse. 

After dinner, when Mrs Harrel was talking of her party for theevening, of which Cecilia declined making one, Sir Robert, with asort of proud humility, that half feared rejection, and halfproclaimed an indifference to meeting it, said, "I don't much carefor going further myself, if Miss Beverley will give me the honourof taking my tea with her. "

Cecilia, regarding him with much surprise, answered that she hadletters to write into the country, which would confine her to herown room for the rest of the evening. The Baronet, looking at hiswatch, instantly cried, "Faith, that is very fortunate, for I havejust recollected an engagement at the other end of the town whichhad slipt my memory. "

Soon after they were all gone, Cecilia received a note from MrsDelvile, begging the favour of her company the next morning tobreakfast. She readily accepted the invitation, though she was by nomeans prepared, by the character she had heard of her, to expectmuch pleasure from an acquaintance with that lady. 

CHAPTER vi

A FAMILY PARTY. 

Cecilia the next morning, between nine and ten o'clock, went to StJames'-Square; she found nobody immediately ready to receive her, but in a short time was waited upon by Mr Delvile. 

After the usual salutations, "Miss Beverley, " he said, "I have givenexpress orders to my people, that I may not be interrupted while Ihave the pleasure of passing some minutes in conversation with youbefore you are presented to Mrs Delvile. "

And then, with an air of solemnity, he led her to a seat, and havinghimself taken possession of another, continued his speech. 

"I have received information, from authority which I cannot doubt, that the indiscretion of certain of your admirers last Saturday atthe Opera-house occasioned a disturbance which to a young woman ofdelicacy I should imagine must be very alarming: now as I considermyself concerned in your fame and welfare from regarding you as myward, I think it is incumbent upon me to make enquiries into such ofyour affairs as become public; for I should feel in some measuredisgraced myself, should it appear to the world, while you are undermy guardianship, that there was any want of propriety in thedirection of your conduct. "

Cecilia, not much flattered by this address, gravely answered thatshe fancied the affair had been misrepresented to him. 

"I am not much addicted, " he replied, "to give ear to any thinglightly; you must therefore permit me to enquire into the merits ofthe cause, and then to draw my own inferences. And let me, at thesame time, assure you there is no other young lady who has any rightto expect such an attention from me. I must begin by begging you toinform me upon what grounds the two gentlemen in question, for such, by courtesy, I presume they are called, thought themselves entitledpublicly to dispute your favour?"

"My favour, Sir!" cried Cecilia, much amazed. 

"My dear, " said he, with a complacency meant to give her courage, "Iknow the question is difficult for a young lady to answer; but benot abashed, I should be sorry to distress you, and mean to theutmost of my power to save your blushes. Do not, therefore, fear me;consider me as your guardian, and assure yourself I am perfectlywell disposed to consider you as my ward. Acquaint me, then, freely, what are the pretensions of these gentlemen?"

"To me, Sir, they have, I believe, no pretensions at all. "

"I see you are shy, " returned he, with encreasing gentleness, "I seeyou cannot be easy with me; and when I consider how little you areaccustomed to me, I do not wonder. But pray take courage; I think itnecessary to inform myself of your affairs, and therefore I beg youwill speak to me with freedom. "

Cecilia, more and more mortified by this humiliating condescension, again assured him he had been misinformed, and was again, thoughdiscredited, praised for her modesty, when, to her great relief, they were interrupted by the entrance of her friend the _whitedomino_. 

"Mortimer, " said Mr Delvile, "I understand you have already had thepleasure of seeing this young lady?"

"Yes, Sir, " he answered, "I have more than once had that happiness, but I have never had the honour of being introduced to her. "

"Miss Beverley, then, " said the father, "I must present to you MrMortimer Delvile, my son; and, Mortimer, in Miss Beverley I desireyou will remember that you respect a ward of your father's. "

"I will not, Sir, " answered he, "forget an injunction my owninclinations had already out-run. "

Mortimer Delvile was tall and finely formed, his features, thoughnot handsome, were full of expression, and a noble openness ofmanners and address spoke the elegance of his education, and theliberality of his mind. 

When this introduction was over, a more general conversation tookplace, till Mr Delvile, suddenly rising, said to Cecilia, "You willpardon me, Miss Beverley, if I leave you for a few minutes; one ofmy tenants sets out to-morrow morning for my estate in the North, and he has been two hours waiting to speak with me. But if my son isnot particularly engaged, I am sure he will be so good as to do thehonours of the house till his mother is ready to receive you. "

And then, graciously waving his hand, he quitted the room. 

"My father, " cried young Delvile, "has left me an office which, could I execute it as perfectly as I shall willingly, would beperformed without a fault. "

"I am very sorry, " said Cecilia, "that I have so much mistaken yourhour of breakfast; but let me not be any restraint upon you, I shallfind a book, or a newspaper, or something to fill up the time tillMrs Delvile honours me with a summons. "

"You can only be a restraint upon me, " answered he, "by commandingme from your presence. I breakfasted long ago, and am now just comefrom Mr Belfield. I had the pleasure, this morning, of beingadmitted into his room. "

"And how, Sir, did you find him?"

"Not so well, I fear, as he thinks himself; but he was in highspirits, and surrounded by his friends, whom he was entertainingwith all the gaiety of a man in full health, and entirely at hisease; though I perceived, by the frequent changes of hiscountenance, signs of pain and indisposition, that made me, howeverpleased with his conversation, think it necessary to shorten my ownvisit, and to hint to those who were near me the propriety ofleaving him quiet. "

"Did you see his surgeon, Sir?"

"No; but he told me he should only have one dressing more of hiswound, and then get rid of the whole business by running into thecountry. "

"Were you acquainted with him, Sir, before this accident?"

"No, not at all; but the little I have seen of him has stronglyinterested me in his favour: at Mr Harrel's masquerade, where Ifirst met with him, I was extremely entertained by his humour, --though there, perhaps, as I had also the honour of first seeing MissBeverley, I might be too happy to feel much difficulty in beingpleased. And even at the Opera he had the advantage of finding me inthe same favourable disposition, as I had long distinguished youbefore I had taken any notice of him. I must, however, confess I didnot think his anger that evening quite without provocation, --but Ibeg your pardon, I may perhaps be mistaken, and you, who know thewhole affair, must undoubtedly be better able to account for whathappened. "

Here he fixed his eyes upon Cecilia, with a look of curiosity thatseemed eager to penetrate into her sentiments of the twoantagonists. 

"No, certainly, " she answered, "he had all the provocation that ill-breeding could give him. "

"And do you, madam, " cried he, with much surprize, "judge of thismatter with such severity?"

"No, not with severity, simply with candour. "

"With candour? alas, then, poor Sir Robert! Severity were not halfso bad a sign for him!"

A servant now came in, to acquaint Cecilia that Mrs Delvile waitedbreakfast for her. 

This summons was immediately followed by the re-entrance of MrDelvile, who, taking her hand, said he would himself present her tohis lady, and with much graciousness assured her of a kindreception. 

The ceremonies preceding this interview, added to the character shehad already heard of Mrs Delvile, made Cecilia heartily wish itover; but, assuming all the courage in her power, she determined tosupport herself with a spirit that should struggle against theostentatious superiority she was prepared to expect. 

She found her seated upon a sofa, from which, however, she arose ather approach; but the moment Cecilia beheld her, all theunfavourable impressions with which she came into her presenceimmediately vanished, and that respect which the formalities of herintroduction had failed to inspire, her air, figure, and countenanceinstantaneously excited. 

She was not more than fifty years of age; her complection, thoughfaded, kept the traces of its former loveliness, her eyes, thoughthey had lost their youthful fire, retained a lustre that evincedtheir primeval brilliancy, and the fine symmetry of her features, still uninjured by the siege of time, not only indicated theperfection of her juvenile beauty, but still laid claim toadmiration in every beholder. Her carriage was lofty and commanding;but the dignity to which high birth and conscious superiority gaverise, was so judiciously regulated by good sense, and so happilyblended with politeness, that though the world at large envied orhated her, the few for whom she had herself any regard, she wasinfallibly certain to captivate. 

The surprise and admiration with which Cecilia at the first glancewas struck proved reciprocal: Mrs Delvile, though prepared for youthand beauty, expected not to see a countenance so intelligent, normanners so well formed as those of Cecilia: thus mutually astonishedand mutually pleased, their first salutations were accompanied bylooks so flattering to both, that each saw in the other, animmediate prepossession in her favour, and from the moment that theymet, they seemed instinctively impelled to admire. 

"I have promised Miss Beverley, madam, " said Mr Delvile to his lady, "that you would give her a kind reception; and I need not remind youthat my promises are always held sacred. "

"But I hope you have not also promised, " cried she, with quickness, "that I should give _you_ a kind reception, for I feel at thisvery moment extremely inclined to quarrel with you. "

"Why so, madam?"

"For not bringing us together sooner; for now I have seen her, Ialready look back with regret to the time I have lost without thepleasure of knowing her. "

"What a claim is this, " cried young Delvile, "upon the benevolenceof Miss Beverley! for if she has not now the indulgence by frequentand diligent visits to make some reparation, she must considerherself as responsible for the dissension she will occasion. "

"If peace depends upon my visits, " answered Cecilia, "it mayimmediately be proclaimed; were it to be procured only by myabsence, I know not if I should so readily agree to the conditions. "

"I must request of you, madam, " said Mr Delvile, "that when my sonand I retire, you will bestow half an hour upon this young lady, inmaking enquiries concerning the disturbance last Saturday at theOpera-house. I have not, myself, so much time to spare, as I haveseveral appointments for this morning; but I am sure you will notobject to the office, as I know you to be equally anxious withmyself, that the minority of Miss Beverley should pass withoutreproach. "

"Not only her minority, but her maturity, " cried young Delvile, warmly, "and not only her maturity, but her decline of life willpass, I hope, not merely without reproach, but with fame andapplause!"

"I hope so too;" replied Mr Delvile: "I wish her well through everystage of her life, but for her minority alone it is my business todo more than wish. For that, I feel my own honour and my own creditconcerned; my honour, as I gave it to the Dean that I wouldsuperintend her conduct, and my credit, as the world is acquaintedwith the claim she has to my protection. "

"I will not make any enquiries, " said Mrs Delvile, turning toCecilia with a sweetness that recompensed her for the haughtiness ofher guardian, "till I have had some opportunity of convincing MissBeverley, that my regard for her merits they should be answered. "

"You see, Miss Beverley, " said Mr Delvile, "how little reason youhad to be afraid of us; Mrs Delvile is as much disposed in yourfavour as myself, and as desirous to be of service to you. Endeavour, therefore, to cast off this timidity, and to makeyourself easy. You must come to us often; use will do more towardsremoving your fears, than all the encouragement we can give you. "

"But what are the fears, " cried Mrs Delvile, "that Miss Beverley canhave to remove? unless, indeed, she apprehends her visits will makeus encroachers, and that the more we are favoured with her presence, the less we shall bear her absence. "

"Pray, son, " said Mr Delvile, "what was the name of the person whowas Sir Robert Floyer's opponent? I have again forgotten it. "

"Belfield, sir. "

"True; it is a name I am perfectly unacquainted with: however, hemay possibly be a very good sort of man; but certainly his opposinghimself to Sir Robert Floyer, a man of some family, a gentleman, rich, and allied to some people of distinction, was a rather strangecircumstance: I mean not, however, to prejudge the case; I will hearit fairly stated; and am the more disposed to be cautious in what Ipronounce, because I am persuaded Miss Beverley has too much senseto let my advice be thrown away upon her. "

"I hope so, Sir; but with respect to the disturbance at the Opera, Iknow not that I have the least occasion to trouble you. "

"If your measures, " said he, very gravely, "are already taken, theDean your uncle prevailed upon me to accept a very useless office;but if any thing is yet undecided, it will not, perhaps, be amissthat I should be consulted. Mean time, I will only recommend to youto consider that Mr Belfield is a person whose name nobody hasheard, and that a connection with Sir Robert Floyer would certainlybe very honourable for you. "

"Indeed, Sir, " said Cecilia, "here is some great mistake; neither ofthese gentlemen, I believe, think of me at all. "

"They have taken, then, " cried young Delvile with a laugh, "a veryextraordinary method to prove their indifference!"

"The affairs of Sir Robert Floyer, " continued Mr Delvile, "areindeed, I am informed, in some disorder; but he has a noble estate, and your fortune would soon clear all its incumbrances. Such analliance, therefore, would be mutually advantageous: but what wouldresult from a union with such a person as Mr Belfield? he is of nofamily, though in that, perhaps, you would not be very scrupulous;but neither has he any money; what, then, recommends him?"

"To me, Sir, nothing!" answered Cecilia. 

"And to me, " cried young Delvile, "almost every thing! he has wit, spirit, and understanding, talents to create admiration, andqualities, I believe, to engage esteem!"

"You speak warmly, " said Mrs Delvile; "but if such is his character, he merits your earnestness. What is it you know of him?"

"Not enough, perhaps, " answered he, "to coolly justify my praise;but he is one of those whose first appearance takes the mind bysurprise, and leaves the judgment to make afterwards such terms asit can. Will you, madam, when he is recovered, permit me tointroduce him to you?"

"Certainly;" said she, smiling; "but have a care your recommendationdoes not disgrace your discernment. "

"This warmth of disposition, Mortimer, " cried Mr Delvile, "producesnothing but difficulties and trouble: you neglect the connections Ipoint out, and which a little attention might render serviceable aswell as honourable, and run precipitately into forming such as cando you no good among people of rank, and are not only profitless inthemselves, but generally lead you into expence and inconvenience. You are now of an age to correct this rashness: think, therefore, better of your own consequence, than thus idly to degrade yourselfby forming friendships with every shewy adventurer that comes inyour way. "

"I know not, Sir, " answered he, "how Mr Belfield deserves to becalled an adventurer: he is not, indeed, rich; but he is in aprofession where parts such as his seldom fail to acquire riches;however, as to me his wealth can be of no consequence, why should myregard to him wait for it? if he is a young man of worth andhonour--"

"Mortimer, " interrupted Mr Delvile, "whatever he is, we know he isnot a man of rank, and whatever he may be, we know he cannot becomea man of family, and consequently for Mortimer Delvile he is nocompanion. If you can render him any service, I shall commend yourso doing; it becomes your birth, it becomes your station in life toassist individuals, and promote the general good: but never in yourzeal for others forget what is due to yourself, and to the ancientand honourable house from which you are sprung. "

"But can we entertain Miss Beverley with nothing better than familylectures?" cried Mrs Delvile. 

"It is for me, " said young Delvile, rising, "to beg pardon of MissBeverley for having occasioned them: but when she is so good as tohonour us with her company again, I hope I shall have morediscretion. "

He then left the room; and Mr Delvile also rising to go, said, "Mydear, I commit you to very kind hands; Mrs Delvile, I am sure, willbe happy to hear your story; speak to her, therefore, withoutreserve. And pray don't imagine that I make you over to her from anyslight; on the contrary, I admire and commend your modesty verymuch; but my time is extremely precious, and I cannot devote so muchof it to an explanation as your diffidence requires. "

And then, to the great joy of Cecilia, he retired; leaving her muchin doubt whether his haughtiness or his condescension humbled hermost. 

"These men, " said Mrs Delvile, "can never comprehend the pain of adelicate female mind upon entering into explanations of this sort: Iunderstand it, however, too well to inflict it. We will, therefore, have no explanations at all till we are better acquainted, and thenif you will venture to favour me with any confidence, my bestadvice, and, should any be in my power, my best services shall be atyour command. "

"You do me, madam, much honour, " answered Cecilia, "but I mustassure you I have no explanation to give. "

"Well, well, at present, " returned Mrs Delvile, "I am content tohear that answer, as I have acquired no right to any other: buthereafter I shall hope for more openness: it is promised me by yourcountenance, and I mean to claim the promise by my friendship. "

"Your friendship will both honour and delight me, and whatever areyour enquiries, I shall always be proud to answer them; but indeed, with regard to this affair--"

"My dear Miss Beverley, " interrupted Mrs Delvile, with a look ofarch incredulity, "men seldom risk their lives where an escape iswithout hope of recompence. But we will not now say a word more uponthe subject. I hope you will often favour me with your company, andby the frequency of your visits, make us both forget the shortnessof our acquaintance. "

Cecilia, finding her resistance only gave birth to fresh suspicion, now yielded, satisfied that a very little time must unavoidablyclear up the truth. But her visit was not therefore shortened; thesudden partiality with which the figure and countenance of MrsDelvile had impressed her, was quickly ripened into esteem by thecharms of her conversation: she found her sensible, well bred, andhigh spirited, gifted by nature with superior talents, and polishedby education and study with all the elegant embellishments ofcultivation. She saw in her, indeed, some portion of the pride shehad been taught to expect, but it was so much softened by elegance, and so well tempered with kindness, that it elevated her character, without rendering her manners offensive. 

With such a woman, subjects of discourse could never be wanting, norfertility of powers to make them entertaining: and so much wasCecilia delighted with her visit, that though her carriage wasannounced at twelve o'clock, she reluctantly concluded it at two;and in taking her leave, gladly accepted an invitation to dine withher new friend three days after; who, equally pleased with her youngguest, promised before that time to return her visit. 

CHAPTER vii

AN EXAMINATION. 

Cecilia found Mrs Harrel eagerly waiting to hear some account howshe had passed the morning, and fully persuaded that she would leavethe Delviles with a determination never more, but by necessity, tosee them: she was, therefore, not only surprised but disappointed, when instead of fulfilling her expectations, she assured her thatshe had been delighted with Mrs Delvile, whose engaging qualitiesamply recompensed her for the arrogance of her husband; that hervisit had no fault but that of being too short, and that she hadalready appointed an early day for repeating it. 

Mrs Harrel was evidently hurt by this praise, and Cecilia, whoperceived among all her guardians a powerful disposition to hatredand jealousy, soon dropt the subject: though so much had she beencharmed with Mrs Delvile, that a scheme of removal once moreoccurred to her, notwithstanding her dislike of her statelyguardian. 

At dinner, as usual, they were joined by Sir Robert Floyer, who grewmore and more assiduous in his attendance, but who, this day, contrary to his general custom of remaining with the gentlemen, madehis exit before the ladies left the table; and as soon as he wasgone, Mr Harrel desired a private conference with Cecilia. 

They went together to the drawing-room, where, after a flourishingpreface upon the merits of Sir Robert Floyer, he formally acquaintedher that he was commissioned by that gentleman, to make her a tenderof his hand and fortune. 

Cecilia, who had not much reason to be surprised at this overture, desired him to tell the Baronet, she was obliged to him for thehonour he intended her, at the same time that she absolutelydeclined receiving it. 

Mr Harrel, laughing, told her this answer was very well for abeginning, though it would by no means serve beyond the first day ofthe declaration; but when Cecilia assured him she should firmlyadhere to it, he remonstrated with equal surprise and discontentupon the reasons of her refusal. She thought it sufficient to tellhim that Sir Robert did not please her, but, with much raillery, hedenied the assertion credit, assuring her that he was universallyadmired by the ladies, that she could not possibly receive a morehonourable offer, and that he was reckoned by every body the finestgentleman about the town. His fortune, he added, was equallyunexceptionable with his figure and his rank in life; all the world, he was certain, would approve the connexion, and the settlement madeupon her should be dictated by herself. 

Cecilia begged him to be satisfied with an answer which she nevercould change, and to spare her the enumeration of particularobjections, since Sir Robert was wholly and in every respectdisagreeable to her. 

"What, then, " cried he, "could make you so frightened for him at theOpera-house? There has been but one opinion about town ever since ofyour prepossession in his favour. "

"I am extremely concerned to hear it; my fright was but the effectof surprise, and belonged not more to Sir Robert than to MrBelfield. "

He told her that nobody else thought the same, that her marriagewith the Baronet was universally expected, and, in conclusion, notwithstanding her earnest desire that he would instantly andexplicitly inform Sir Robert of her determination, he repeatedlyrefused to give him any final answer till she had taken more timefor consideration. 

Cecilia was extremely displeased at this irksome importunity, andstill more chagrined to find her incautious emotion at the Opera-house, had given rise to suspicions of her harbouring a partialityfor a man whom every day she more heartily disliked. 

While she was deliberating in what manner she could clear up thismistake, which, after she was left alone, occupied all her thoughts, she was interrupted by the entrance of Mr. Monckton, whose joy inmeeting her at length by herself exceeded not her own, for charmedas he was that he could now examine into the state of her affairs, she was not less delighted that she could make them known to him. 

After mutual expressions, guarded, however, on the part of Mr. Monckton, though unreserved on that of Cecilia, of theirsatisfaction in being again able to converse as in former times, heasked if she would permit him, as the privilege of their longacquaintance, to speak to her with sincerity. 

She assured him he could not more oblige her. 

"Let me, then, " said he, "enquire if yet that ardent confidence inyour own steadiness, which so much disdained my fears that thechange of your residence might produce a change in your sentiments, is still as unshaken as when we parted in Suffolk? Or whetherexperience, that foe to unpractised refinement, has already taughtyou the fallibility of theory?"

"When I assure you, " replied Cecilia, "that your enquiry gives me nopain, I think I have sufficiently answered it, for were I consciousof any alteration, it could not but embarrass and distress me. Veryfar, however, from finding myself in the danger with which youthreatened me, of _forgetting Bury, its inhabitants and itsenvirons_, I think with pleasure of little else, since London, instead of bewitching, has greatly disappointed me. "

"How so?" cried Mr Monckton, much delighted. 

"Not, " answered she, "in itself, not in its magnificence, nor in itsdiversions, which seem to be inexhaustible; but these, thoughcopious as instruments of pleasure, are very shallow as sources ofhappiness: the disappointment, therefore, comes nearer home, andsprings not from London, but from my own situation. "

"Is that, then, disagreeable to you?"

"You shall yourself judge, when I have told you that from the timeof my quitting your house till this very moment, when I have againthe happiness of talking with you, I have never once had anyconversation, society or intercourse, in which friendship oraffection have had any share, or my mind has had the leastinterest. "

She then entered into a detail of her way of life, told him howlittle suited to her taste was the unbounded dissipation of theHarrels, and feelingly expatiated upon the disappointment she hadreceived from the alteration in the manners and conduct of her youngfriend. "In her, " she continued, "had I found the companion I cameprepared to meet, the companion from whom I had so lately parted, and in whose society I expected to find consolation for the loss ofyours and of Mrs Charlton's, I should have complained of nothing;the very places that now tire, might then have entertained me, andall that now passes for unmeaning dissipation, might then have wornthe appearance of variety and pleasure. But where the mind is whollywithout interest, every thing is languid and insipid; and accustomedas I have long been to think friendship the first of humanblessings, and social converse the greatest of human enjoyments, however can I reconcile myself to a state of careless indifference, tomaking acquaintance without any concern either for preserving oresteeming them, and to going on from day to day in an eager searchof amusement, with no companion for the hours of retirement, and noview beyond that of passing the present moment in apparent gaietyand thoughtlessness?"

Mr Monckton, who heard these complaints with secret rapture, farfrom seeking to soften or remove, used his utmost endeavours tostrengthen and encrease them, by artfully retracing her former wayof life, and pointing out with added censures the change in it shehad been lately compelled to make: "a change, " he continued, "whichthough ruinous of your time, and detrimental to your happiness, usewill, I fear, familiarize, and familiarity render pleasant. "

"These suspicions, sir, " said Cecilia, "mortify me greatly; and why, when far from finding me pleased, you hear nothing but repining, should you still continue to harbour them?"

"Because your trial has yet been too short to prove your firmness, and because there is nothing to which time cannot contentedlyaccustom us. "

"I feel not much fear, " said Cecilia, "of standing such a test asmight fully satisfy you; but nevertheless, not to be toopresumptuous, I have by no means exposed myself to all the dangerswhich you think surround me, for of late I have spent almost everyevening at home and by myself. "

This intelligence was to Mr Monckton a surprise the most agreeablehe could receive. Her distaste for the amusements which were offeredher greatly relieved his fears of her forming any alarmingconnection, and the discovery that while so anxiously he had soughther every where in public, she had quietly passed her time by herown fireside, not only re-assured him for the present, but gave himinformation where he might meet with her in future. 

He then talked of the duel, and solicitously led her to speak[openly] of Sir Robert Floyer; and here too, his satisfaction wasentire; he found her dislike of him such as his knowledge of herdisposition made him expect, and she wholly removed his suspicionsconcerning her anxiety about the quarrel, by explaining to him herapprehensions of having occasioned it herself, from accepting thecivility of Mr Belfield, at the very moment she shewed her aversionto receiving that of Sir Robert. 

Neither did her confidence rest here; she acquainted him with theconversation she had just had with Mr Harrel, and begged his advicein what manner she might secure herself from further importunity. 

Mr Monckton had now a new subject for his discernment. Every thinghad confirmed to him the passion which Mr Arnott had conceived forCecilia, and he had therefore concluded the interest of the Harrelswould be all in his favour: other ideas now struck him; he foundthat Mr Arnott was given up for Sir Robert, and he determinedcarefully to watch the motions both of the Baronet and her youngguardian, in order to discover the nature of their plans andconnection. Mean time, convinced by her unaffected aversion to theproposals she had received, that she was at present in no dangerfrom the league he suspected, he merely advised her to persevere inmanifesting a calm repugnance to their solicitations, which couldnot fail, before long, to dishearten them both. 

"But Sir, " cried Cecilia, "I now fear this man as much as I dislikehim, for his late fierceness and brutality, though they haveencreased my disgust, make me dread to shew it. I am impatient, therefore, to have done with him, and to see him no more. And forthis purpose, I wish to quit the house of Mr Harrel, where he hasaccess at his pleasure. "

"You can wish nothing more judiciously, " cried he; "would you, then, return into the country?"

"That is not yet in my power; I am obliged to reside with one of myguardians. To-day I have seen Mrs Delvile, and--"

"Mrs Delvile?" interrupted Mr Monckton, in a voice of astonishment. "Surely you do not think of removing into that family?"

"What can I do so well? Mrs Delvile is a charming woman, and herconversation would afford me more entertainment and instruction in asingle day, than under this roof I should obtain in a twelvemonth. "

"Are you serious? Do you really think of making such a change?"

"I really wish it, but I know not yet if it is practicable: onThursday, however, I am to dine with her, and then, if it is in mypower, I will hint to her my desire. "

"And can Miss Beverley possibly wish, " cried Mr Monckton withearnestness, "to reside in such a house? Is not Mr Delvile the mostostentatious, haughty, and self-sufficient of men? Is not his wifethe proudest of women? And is not the whole family odious to all theworld?"

"You amaze me!" cried Cecilia; "surely that cannot be their generalcharacter? Mr Delvile, indeed, deserves all the censure he can meetfor his wearisome parade of superiority; but his lady by no meansmerits to be included in the same reproach. I have spent this wholemorning with her, and though I waited upon her with a strongprejudice in her disfavour, I observed in her no pride that exceededthe bounds of propriety and native dignity. "

"Have you often been at the house? Do you know the son, too?"

"I have seen him three or four times. "

"And what do you think of him?"

"I hardly know enough of him to judge fairly. "

"But what does he seem to you? Do you not perceive in him alreadyall the arrogance, all the contemptuous insolence of his father?"

"O no! far from it indeed; his mind seems to be liberal and noble, open to impressions of merit, and eager to honour and promote it. "

"You are much deceived; you have been reading your own mind, andthought you had read his: I would advise you sedulously to avoid thewhole family; you will find all intercourse with them irksome andcomfortless: such as the father appears at once, the wife and theson will, in a few more meetings, appear also. They are descendedfrom the same stock, and inherit the same self-complacency. MrDelvile married his cousin, and each of them instigates the other tobelieve that all birth and rank would be at an end in the world, iftheir own superb family had not a promise of support from theirhopeful Mortimer. Should you precipitately settle yourself in theirhouse, you would very soon be totally weighed down by their unitedinsolence. "

Cecilia again and warmly attempted to defend them; but Mr Moncktonwas so positive in his assertions, and so significant in hisinsinuations to their discredit, that she was at length persuadedshe had judged too hastily, and, after thanking him for his counsel, promised not to take any measures towards a removal without hisadvice. 

This was all he desired; and now, enlivened by finding that hisinfluence with her was unimpaired, and that her heart was yet herown, he ceased his exhortations, and turned the discourse tosubjects more gay and general, judiciously cautious neither bytedious admonitions to disgust, nor by fretful solicitude to alarmher. He did not quit her till the evening was far advanced, andthen, in returning to his own house, felt all his anxieties anddisappointments recompensed by the comfort this long andsatisfactory conversation had afforded him. While Cecilia, charmedwith having spent the morning with her new acquaintance, and theevening with her old friend, retired to rest better pleased with thedisposal of her time than she had yet been since her journey fromSuffolk. 

CHAPTER viii

A TETE A TETE. 

The two following days had neither event nor disturbance, exceptsome little vexation occasioned by the behaviour of Sir RobertFloyer, who still appeared not to entertain any doubt of the successof his addresses. This impertinent confidence she could onlyattribute to the officious encouragement of Mr Harrel, and thereforeshe determined rather to seek than to avoid an explanation with him. But she had, in the mean time, the satisfaction of hearing from MrArnott, who, ever eager to oblige her, was frequent in hisenquiries, that Mr Belfield was almost entirely recovered. 

On Thursday, according to her appointment, she again went to StJames' Square, and being shewn into the drawing-room till dinner wasready, found there only young Mr Delvile. 

After some general conversation, he asked her how lately she had hadany news of Mr Belfield?

"This morning, " she answered, "when I had the pleasure of hearing hewas quite recovered. Have you seen him again, sir?"

"Yes madam, twice. "

"And did you think him almost well?"

"I thought, " answered he, with some hesitation, "and I think still, that your enquiries ought to be his cure. "

"O, " cried Cecilia, "I hope he has far better medicines: but I amafraid I have been misinformed, for I see you do not think himbetter. "

"You must not, however, " replied he, "blame those messengers whoseartifice has only had your satisfaction in view; nor should I be somalignant as to blast their designs, if I did not fear that MrBelfield's actual safety may be endangered by your continualdeception. "

"What deception, sir? I don't at all understand you. How is hissafety endangered?"

"Ah madam!" said he smiling, "what danger indeed is there that anyman would not risk to give birth to such solicitude! Mr Belfieldhowever, I believe is in none from which a command of yours cannotrescue him. "

"Then were I an hard-hearted damsel indeed not to issue it! but ifmy commands are so medicinal, pray instruct me how to administerthem. "

"You must order him to give up, for the present, his plan of goinginto the country, where he can have no assistance, and where hiswound must be dressed only by a common servant, and to remainquietly in town till his surgeon pronounces that he may travelwithout any hazard. "

"But is he, seriously, so mad as to intend leaving town without theconsent of his surgeon?"

"Nothing less than such an intention could have induced me toundeceive you with respect to his recovery. But indeed I am nofriend to those artifices which purchase present relief by futuremisery: I venture, therefore, to speak to you the simple truth, thatby a timely exertion of your influence you may prevent furtherevil. "

"I know not, Sir, " said Cecilia, with the utmost surprise, "why youshould suppose I have any such influence; nor can I imagine that anydeception has been practiced. "

"It is possible, " answered he, "I may have been too much alarmed;but in such a case as this, no information ought to be depended uponbut that of his surgeon. You, madam, may probably know his opinion?"

"Me?--No, indeed? I never saw his surgeon; I know not even who heis. "

"I purpose calling upon him to-morrow morning; will Miss Beverleypermit me afterwards the honour of communicating to her what maypass?"

"I thank you, sir, " said she, colouring very high; "but myimpatience is by no means so great as to occasion my giving you thattrouble. "

Delvile, perceiving her change of countenance, instantly, and withmuch respect, entreated her pardon for the proposal; which, however, she had no sooner granted, than he said very archly, "Why indeed youhave not much right to be angry, since it was your own franknessthat excited mine. And thus, you find, like most other culprits, Iam ready to cast the blame of the offence upon the offended. I feel, however, an irresistible propensity to do service to Mr Belfield;--shall I sin quite beyond forgiveness if I venture to tell you how Ifound him situated this morning?"

"No, certainly, --if you wish it, I can have no objection. "

"I found him, then, surrounded by a set of gay young men, who, byway of keeping up his spirits, made him laugh and talk withoutceasing: he assured me himself that he was perfectly well, andintended to gallop out of town to-morrow morning; though, when Ishook hands with him at parting, I was both shocked and alarmed tofeel by the burning heat of the skin, that far from discarding hissurgeon, he ought rather to call in a physician. "

"I am very much concerned to hear this account, " said Cecilia; "butI do not well understand what you mean should on my part follow it?"

"That, " answered he, bowing, with a look of mock gravity, "I pretendnot to settle! In stating the case I have satisfied my conscience, and if in hearing it you can pardon the liberty I have taken, Ishall as much honour the openness of your character, as I admirethat of your countenance. "

Cecilia now, to her no little astonishment, found she had the samemistake to clear up at present concerning Mr Belfield, that onlythree days before she had explained with respect to the Baronet. Butshe had no time to speak further upon the subject, as the entranceof Mrs Delvile put an end to their discourse. 

That lady received her with the most distinguishing kindness;apologised for not sooner waiting upon her, and repeatedly declaredthat nothing but indisposition should have prevented her returningthe favour of her first visit. 

They were soon after summoned to dinner. Mr Delvile, to the infinitejoy of Cecilia, was out. 

The day was spent greatly to her satisfaction. There was nointerruption from visitors, she was tormented by the discussion ofno disagreeable subjects, the duel was not mentioned, theantagonists were not hinted at, she was teized with no self-sufficient encouragement, and wearied with no mortifying affability;the conversation at once was lively and rational, and thoughgeneral, was rendered interesting, by a reciprocation of good-willand pleasure in the conversers. 

The favourable opinion she had conceived both of the mother and theson this long visit served to confirm: in Mrs Delvile she foundstrong sense, quick parts, and high breeding; in Mortimer, sincerityand vivacity joined with softness and elegance; and in both thereseemed the most liberal admiration of talents, with an openness ofheart that disdained all disguise. Greatly pleased with theirmanners, and struck with all that was apparent in their characters, she much regretted the prejudice of Mr Monckton, which now, with thepromise she had given him, was all that opposed her making animmediate effort towards a change in her abode. 

She did not take her leave till eleven o'clock, when Mrs Delvile, after repeatedly thanking her for her visit, said she would not somuch encroach upon her good nature as to request another till shehad waited upon her in return; but added, that she meant veryspeedily to pay that debt, in order to enable herself, by friendlyand frequent meetings, to enter upon the confidential commissionwith which her guardian had entrusted her. 

Cecilia was pleased with the delicacy which gave rise to thisforbearance, yet having in fact nothing either to relate or conceal, she was rather sorry than glad at the delay of an explanation, sinceshe found the whole family was in an error with respect to thesituation of her affairs. 

BOOK THREE

CHAPTER i

AN APPLICATION. 

Cecilia, upon her return home, heard with some surprise that Mr andMrs Harrel were by themselves in the drawing-room; and, while shewas upon the stairs, Mrs Harrel ran out, calling eagerly, "Is thatmy brother?"

Before she could make an answer, Mr Harrel, in the same impatienttone, exclaimed, "Is it Mr Arnott?"

"No;" said Cecilia, "did you expect him so late?"

"Expect him? Yes, " answered Mr Harrel, "I have expected him thewhole evening, and cannot conceive what he has done with himself. "

"'Tis abominably provoking, " said Mrs Harrel, "that he should be outof the way just now when he is wanted. However, I dare say to-morrowwill do as well. "

"I don't know that, " cried Mr Harrel. "Reeves is such a wretch thatI am sure he will give me all the trouble in his power. "

Here Mr Arnott entered; and Mrs Harrel called out "O brother, wehave been distressed for you cruelly; we have had a man here who hasplagued Mr Harrel to death, and we wanted you sadly to speak tohim. "

"I should have been very glad, " said Mr Arnott, "to have been of anyuse, and perhaps it is not yet too late; who is the man?"

"O, " cried Mr Harrel, carelessly, "only a fellow from that rascallytaylor who has been so troublesome to me lately. He has had theimpudence, because I did not pay him the moment he was pleased towant his money, to put the bill into the hands of one Reeves, agriping attorney, who has been here this evening, and thought properto talk to me pretty freely. I can tell the gentleman I shall noteasily forget his impertinence! however, I really wish mean time Icould get rid of him. "

"How much is the bill, Sir?" said Mr Arnott. 

"Why it's rather a round sum; but I don't know how it is, one'sbills mount up before one is aware: those fellows charge suchconfounded sums for tape and buckram; I hardly know what I have hadof him, and yet he has run me up a bill of between three and fourhundred pound. "

Here there was a general silence; till Mrs Harrel said "Brother, can't you be so good as to lend us the money? Mr Harrel says he canpay it again very soon. "

"O yes, very soon, " said Mr Harrel, "for I shall receive a greatdeal of money in a little time; I only want to stop this fellow'smouth for the present. "

"Suppose I go and talk with him?" said Mr Arnott. 

"O, he's a brute, a stock!" cried Mr Harrel, "nothing but the moneywill satisfy him: he will hear no reason; one might as well talk toa stone. "

Mr Arnott now looked extremely distressed; but upon his sister'swarmly pressing him not to lose any time, he gently said, "If thisperson will but wait a week or two, I should be extremely glad, forreally just now I cannot take up so much money, without suchparticular loss and inconvenience, that I hardly know how to do it:--but yet, if he will not be appeased, he must certainly have it. "

"Appeased?" cried Mr Harrel, "you might as well appease the sea in astorm! he is hard as iron. "

Mr Arnott then, forcing a smile, though evidently in muchuneasiness, said he would not fail to raise the money the nextmorning, and was taking his leave, when Cecilia, shocked that suchtenderness and good-nature should be thus grossly imposed upon, hastily begged to speak with Mrs Harrel, and taking her into anotherroom, said, "I beseech you, my dear friend, let not your worthybrother suffer by his generosity; permit me in the present exigenceto assist Mr Harrel: my having such a sum advanced can be of noconsequence; but I should grieve indeed that your brother, who sonobly understands the use of money, should take it up at anyparticular disadvantage. "

"You are vastly kind, " said Mrs Harrel, "and I will run and speak tothem about it: but which ever of you lends the money, Mr Harrel hasassured me he shall pay it very soon. "

She then returned with the proposition. Mr Arnott strongly opposedit, but Mr Harrel seemed rather to prefer it, yet spoke soconfidently of his speedy payment, that he appeared to think it amatter of little importance from which he accepted it. A generouscontest ensued between Mr Arnott and Cecilia, but as she was veryearnest, she at length prevailed, and settled to go herself the nextmorning into the city, in order to have the money advanced by MrBriggs, who had the management of her fortune entirely to himself, her other guardians never interfering in the executive part of heraffairs. 

This arranged, they all retired. 

And then, with encreasing astonishment, Cecilia reflected upon theruinous levity of Mr Harrel, and the blind security of his wife; shesaw in their situation danger the most alarming, and in thebehaviour of Mr Harrel selfishness the most inexcusable; suchglaring injustice to his creditors, such utter insensibility to hisfriends, took from her all wish of assisting him, though theindignant compassion with which she saw the easy generosity of MrArnott so frequently abused, had now, for his sake merely, inducedher to relieve him. 

She resolved, however, as soon as the present difficulty wassurmounted, to make another attempt to open the eyes of Mrs Harrelto the evils which so apparently threatened her, and press her toexert all her influence with her husband, by means both of exampleand advice, to retrench his expences before it should be absolutelytoo late to save him from ruin. 

She determined also at the same time dial she applied for the moneyrequisite for this debt, to take up enough for discharging her ownbill at the bookseller's, and putting in execution her plan ofassisting the Hills. 

The next morning she arose early, and attended by her servant, setout for the house of Mr Briggs, purposing, as the weather was clearand frosty, to walk through Oxford Road, and then put herself into achair; and hoping to return to Mr Harrel's by the usual hour ofbreakfast. 

She had not proceeded far, before she saw a mob gathering, and thewindows of almost all the houses filling with spectators. Shedesired her servant to enquire what this meant, and was informedthat the people were assembling to see some malefactors pass by intheir way to Tyburn. 

Alarmed at this intelligence from the fear of meeting the unhappycriminals, she hastily turned down die next street, but found thatalso filling with people who were running to the scene she wastrying to avoid: encircled thus every way, she applied to amaidservant who was standing at the door of a large house, andbegged leave to step in till the mob was gone by. The maidimmediately consented, and she waited here while she sent her manfor a chair. 

He soon arrived with one; but just as she returned to the streetdoor, a gentleman, who was hastily entering the house, standing backto let her pass, suddenly exclaimed, "Miss Beverley!" and looking athim, she perceived young Delvile. 

"I cannot stop an instant, " cried she, running down the steps, "lestthe crowd should prevent the chair from going on. "

"Will you not first, " said he, handing her in, "tell me what newsyou have heard?"

"News?" repeated she. "No, I have heard none!"

"You will only, then, laugh at me for those officious offers you didso well to reject?"

"I know not what offers you mean!"

"They were indeed superfluous, and therefore I wonder not you haveforgotten them. Shall I tell the chairmen whither to go?"

"To Mr Briggs. But I cannot imagine what you mean. "

"To Mr Briggs!" repeated he, "O live for ever French beads andBristol stones! fresh offers may perhaps be made there, impertinent, officious, and useless as mine!"

He then told her servant the direction, and, making his bow, wentinto the house she had just quitted. 

Cecilia, extremely amazed by this short, but unintelligibleconversation, would again have called upon him to explain hismeaning, but found the crowd encreasing so fast that she could notventure to detain the chair, which with difficulty made its way tothe adjoining streets: but her surprize at what had passed soentirely occupied her, that when she stopt at the house of MrBriggs, she had almost forgotten what had brought her thither. 

The foot-boy, who came to the door, told her that his master was athome, but not well. 

She desired he might be acquainted that she wished to speak to himupon business, and would wait upon him again at any hour when hethought he should be able to see her. 

The boy returned with an answer that she might call again the nextweek. 

Cecilia, knowing that so long a delay would destroy all the kindnessof her intention, determined to write to him for the money, andtherefore went into the parlour, and desired to have pen and ink. 

The boy, after making her wait some time in a room without any fire, brought her a pen and a little ink in a broken tea-cup, saying"Master begs you won't spirt it about, for he's got no more; and allour blacking's as good as gone. "

"Blacking?" repeated Cecilia. 

"Yes, Miss; when Master's shoes are blacked, we commonly gets alittle drap of fresh ink. "

Cecilia promised to be careful, but desired him to fetch her a sheetof paper. 

"Law, Miss, " cried the boy, with a grin, "I dare say master'd assoon give you a bit of his nose! howsever, I'll go ax. "

In a few minutes he again returned, and brought in his hand a slateand a black lead pencil; "Miss, " cried he, "Master says how you maywrite upon this, for he supposes you've no great matters to say. "

Cecilia, much astonished at this extreme parsimony, was obliged toconsent, but as the point of the pencil was very blunt, desired theboy to get her a knife that she might cut it. He obeyed, but said"Pray Miss, take care it ben't known, for master don't do such athing once in a year, and if he know'd I'd got you the knife, he'dgo nigh to give me a good polt of the head. "

Cecilia then wrote upon the slate her desire to be informed in whatmanner she should send him her receipt for 600 pounds, which shebegged to have instantly advanced. 

The boy came back grinning, and holding up his hands, and said, "Miss, there's a fine piece of work upstairs! Master's in a peck oftroubles; but he says how he'll come down, if you'll stay till he'sgot his things on. "

"Does he keep his bed, then? I hope I have not made him rise?"

"No, Miss, he don't keep his bed, only he must get ready, for hewears no great matters of cloaths when he's alone. You are to know, Miss, " lowering his voice, "that that day as he went abroad with oursweep's cloaths on, he comed home in sich a pickle you never see! Ibelieve somebody'd knocked him in the kennel; so does Moll; butdon't you say as I told you! He's been special bad ever since. Molland I was as glad as could be, because he's so plaguy sharp; for, tolet you know, Miss, he's so near, it's partly a wonder how he livesat all: and yet he's worth a power of money, too. "

"Well, well, " said Cecilia, not very desirous to encourage hisforwardness, "if I want any thing, I'll call for you. "

The boy, however, glad to tell his tale, went on. 

"Our Moll won't stay with him above a week longer, Miss, because shesays how she can get nothing to eat, but just some old stinking saltmeat, that's stayed in the butcher's shop so long, it would make ahorse sick to look at it. But Moll's pretty nice; howsever, Miss, tolet you know, we don't get a good meal so often as once a quarter!why this last week we ha'n't had nothing at all but some dry mustyred herrings; so you may think, Miss, we're kept pretty sharp!"

He was now interrupted by hearing Mr Briggs coming down the stairs, upon which, abruptly breaking off his complaints, he held up hisfinger to his nose in token of secrecy, and ran hastily into thekitchen. 

The appearance of Mr Briggs was by no means rendered more attractiveby illness and negligence of dress. He had on a flannel gown andnight cap; his black beard, of many days' growth, was long and grim, and upon his nose and one of his cheeks was a large patch of brownpaper, which, as he entered the room, he held on with both hishands. 

Cecilia made many apologies for having disturbed him, and some civilenquiries concerning his health. 

"Ay, ay, " cried he, pettishly, "bad enough: all along of thattrumpery masquerade; wish I had not gone! Fool for my pains. "

"When were you taken ill, Sir?"

"Met with an accident; got a fall, broke my head, like to have lostmy wig. Wish the masquerade at old Nick! thought it would costnothing, or would not have gone. Warrant sha'n't get me so soon toanother!"

"Did you fall in going home, Sir?"

"Ay, ay, plump in the kennel; could hardly get out of it; feltmyself a going, was afraid to tear my cloaths, knew the rascal wouldmake me pay for them, so by holding up the old sack, come bolt on myface! off pops my wig; could not tell what to do; all as dark aspitch!"

"Did not you call for help?"

"Nobody by but scrubs, knew they would not help for nothing. Scrawled out as I could, groped about for my wig, found it at last, all soused in the mud; stuck to my head like Turner's cerate, "

"I hope, then, you got into a hackney coach?"

"What for? to make things worse? was not bad enough, hay?--must paytwo shillings beside?"

"But how did you find yourself when you got home, Sir?"

"How? why wet as muck; my head all bumps, my cheek all cut, my nosebig as two! forced to wear a plaister; half ruined in vinegar. Got agreat cold; put me in a fever; never been well since. "

"But have you had no advice, Sir? Should not you send for aphysician?"

"What to do, hay? fill me with jallop? can get it myself, can't I?Had one once; was taken very bad, thought should have popt off;began to flinch, sent for the doctor, proved nothing but a cheat!cost me a guinea, gave it at fourth visit, and he never came again!---warrant won't have no more!"

Then perceiving upon the table some dust from the black lead pencil, "What's here?" cried he, angrily, "who's been cutting the pencil?wish they were hanged; suppose it's the boy; deserves to behorsewhipped: give him a good banging. "

Cecilia immediately cleared him, by acknowledging she had herselfbeen the culprit. 

"Ay, ay, " cried he, "thought as much all the time! guessed how itwas; nothing but ruin and waste; sending for money, nobody knowswhy; wanting 600 pounds--what to do? throw it in the dirt? Neverheard the like! Sha'n't have it, promise you that, " nodding hishead, "shan't have no such thing!"

"Sha'n't have it?" cried Cecilia, much surprised, "why not, Sir?"

"Keep it for your husband; get you one soon: won't have no juggling. Don't be in a hurry; one in my eye. "

Cecilia then began a very earnest expostulation, assuring him shereally wanted the money, for an occasion which would not admit ofdelay. Her remonstrances, however, he wholly disregarded, tellingher that girls knew nothing of the value of money, and ought not tobe trusted with it; that he would not hear of such extravagance, andwas resolved not to advance her a penny. Cecilia was both provokedand confounded by a refusal so unexpected, and as she thoughtherself bound in honour to Mr Harrel not to make known the motive ofher urgency, she was for some time totally silenced: tillrecollecting her account with the bookseller, she determined to resther plea upon that, persuaded that he could not, at least, deny hermoney to pay her own bills. He heard her, however, with the utmostcontempt; "Books?" he cried, "what do you want with books? do nogood; all lost time; words get no cash. " She informed him hisadmonitions were now too late, as she had already received them, andmust therefore necessarily pay for them. "No, no, " cried he, "send'em back, that's best; keep no such rubbish, won't turn to account;do better without 'em. " "That, Sir, will be impossible, for I havehad them some time, and cannot expect the bookseller to take themagain. " "Must, must, " cried he, "can't help himself; glad to have'em too. Are but a minor, can't be made pay a farthing. " Ceciliawith much indignation heard such fraud recommended, and told him shecould by no means consent to follow his advice. But she soon found, to her utter amazement, that he steadily refused to give her anyother, or to bestow the slightest attention upon her expostulations, sturdily saying that her uncle had left her a noble estate, and hewould take care to see it put in proper hands, by getting her a goodand careful husband. 

"I have no intention, no wish, Sir, " cried she, "to break into theincome or estate left me by my uncle; on the contrary, I hold themsacred, and think myself bound in conscience never to live beyondthem: but the L10, 000 bequeathed me by my Father, I regard as morepeculiarly my own property, and therefore think myself at liberty todispose of it as I please. "

"What, " cried he, in a rage, "make it over to a scrubby bookseller!give it up for an old pot-hook? no, no, won't suffer it; sha'n't be, sha'n't be, I say! if you want some books, go to Moorfields, pick upenough at an old stall; get 'em at two pence a-piece; dear enough, too. "

Cecilia for some time hoped he was merely indulging his strange andsordid humour by an opposition that was only intended to teize her;but she soon found herself extremely mistaken: he was immoveable inobstinacy, as he was incorrigible in avarice; he neither troubledhimself with enquiries nor reasoning, but was contented withrefusing her as a child might be refused, by peremptorily tellingher she did not know what she wanted, and therefore should not havewhat she asked. 

And with this answer, after all that she could urge, she wascompelled to leave the house, as he complained that his brown paperplaister wanted fresh dipping in vinegar, and he could stay talkingno longer. 

The disgust with which this behaviour filled her, was doubled by theshame and concern of returning to the Harrels with her promiseunperformed; she deliberated upon every method that occurred to herof still endeavouring to serve them, but could suggest nothing, except trying to prevail upon Mr Delvile to interfere in her favour. She liked not, indeed, the office of solicitation to so haughty aman, but, having no other expedient, her repugnance gave way to hergenerosity, and she ordered the chairmen to carry her to St James'sSquare. 

CHAPTER ii

A PERPLEXITY. 

And here, at the door of his Father's house, and just ascending thesteps, she perceived young Delvile. 

"Again!" cried he, handing her out of the chair, "surely some goodgenius is at work for me this morning!"

She told him she should not have called so early, now she wasacquainted with the late hours of Mrs Delvile, but that she merelymeant to speak with his Father, for two minutes, upon business. 

He attended her up stairs; and finding she was in haste, wenthimself with her message to Mr Delvile: and soon returned with ananswer that he would wait upon her presently. 

The strange speeches he had made to her when they first met in themorning now recurring to her memory, she determined to have themexplained, and in order to lead to the subject, mentioned thedisagreeable situation in which he had found her, while she wasstanding up to avoid the sight of the condemned malefactors. 

"Indeed?" cried he, in a tone of voice somewhat incredulous, "andwas that the purpose for which you stood up?"

"Certainly, Sir;--what other could I have?"

"None, surely!" said he, smiling, "but the accident was singularlyopportune. "

"Opportune?" cried Cecilia, staring, "how opportune? this is thesecond time in the same morning that I am not able to understandyou!"

"How _should_ you understand what is so little intelligible?"

"I see you have some meaning which I cannot fathom, why, else, should it be so extraordinary that I should endeavour to avoid amob? or how could it be opportune that I should happen to meet withone?"

He laughed at first without making any answer; but perceiving shelooked at him with impatience, he half gaily, half reproachfully, said, "Whence is it that young ladies, even such whose principlesare most strict, seem universally, in those affairs where theiraffections are concerned, to think hypocrisy necessary, and deceitamiable? and hold it graceful to disavow to-day, what they mayperhaps mean publicly to acknowledge to-morrow?"

Cecilia, who heard these questions with unfeigned astonishment, looked at him with the utmost eagerness for an explanation. 

"Do you so much wonder, " he continued, "that I should have hoped inMiss Beverley to have seen some deviation from such rules? and haveexpected more openness and candour in a young lady who has given sonoble a proof of the liberality of her mind and understanding?"

"You amaze me beyond measure!" cried she, "what rules, what candour, what liberality, do you mean?"

"Must I speak yet more plainly? and if I do, will you bear to hearme?"

"Indeed I should be extremely glad if you would give me leave tounderstand you. "

"And may I tell you what has charmed me, as well as what I havepresumed to wonder at?"

"You may tell me any thing, if you will but be less mysterious. "

"Forgive then the frankness you invite, and let me acknowledge toyou how greatly I honour the nobleness of your conduct. Surroundedas you are by the opulent and the splendid, unshackled bydependance, unrestrained by authority, blest by nature with all thatis attractive, by situation with all that is desirable, --to slightthe rich, and disregard the powerful, for the purer pleasure ofraising oppressed merit, and giving to desert that wealth in whichalone it seemed deficient--how can a spirit so liberal besufficiently admired, or a choice of so much dignity be too highlyextolled?"

"I find, " cried Cecilia, "I must forbear any further enquiry, forthe more I hear, the less I understand. "

"Pardon me, then, " cried he, "if here I return to my first question:whence is it that a young lady who can think so nobly, and act sodisinterestedly, should not be uniformly great, simple in truth, andunaffected in sincerity? Why should she be thus guarded, wherefrankness would do her so much honour? Why blush in owning what allothers may blush in envying?"

"Indeed you perplex me intolerably, " cried Cecilia, with somevexation, "why Sir, will you not be more explicit?"

"And why, Madam, " returned he, with a laugh, "would you tempt me tobe more impertinent? have I not said strange things already?"

"Strange indeed, " cried she, "for not one of them can I comprehend!"

"Pardon, then, " cried he, "and forget them all! I scarce know myselfwhat urged me to say them, but I began inadvertently, withoutintending to go on, and I have proceeded involuntarily, withoutknowing how to stop. The fault, however, is ultimately your own, forthe sight of you creates an insurmountable desire to converse withyou, and your conversation a propensity equally incorrigible to takesome interest in your welfare. "

He would then have changed the discourse, and Cecilia, ashamed ofpressing him further, was for some time silent; but when one of theservants came to inform her that his master meant to wait upon herdirectly, her unwillingness to leave the matter in suspense inducedher, somewhat abruptly, to say, "Perhaps, Sir, you are thinking ofMr Belfield?"

"A happy conjecture!" cried he, "but so wild a one, I cannot butmarvel how it should occur to you!"

"Well, Sir, " said she, "I must acknowledge I now understand yourmeaning; but with respect to what has given rise to it, I am as mucha stranger as ever. "

The entrance of Mr Delvile here closed the conversation. 

He began with his usual ostentatious apologies, declaring he had somany people to attend, so many complaints to hear, and so manygrievances to redress, that it was impossible for him to wait uponher sooner, and not without difficulty that he waited upon her now. 

Mean time his son almost immediately retired: and Cecilia, insteadof listening to this harangue, was only disturbing herself withconjectures upon what had just passed. She saw that young Delvileconcluded she was absolutely engaged to Mr Belfield, and though shewas better pleased that any suspicion should fall there than uponSir Robert Floyer, she was yet both provoked and concerned to besuspected at all. An attack so earnest from almost any other personcould hardly have failed being very offensive to her, but in themanners of young Delvile good breeding was so happily blended withfrankness, that his freedom seemed merely to result from theopenness of his disposition, and even in its very act pleaded itsown excuse. 

Her reverie was at length interrupted by Mr Delvile's desiring toknow in what he could serve her. 

She told him she had present occasion for L600, and hoped he wouldnot object to her taking up that sum. 

"Six hundred pounds, " said he, after some deliberation, "is ratheran extraordinary demand for a young lady in your situation; yourallowance is considerable, you have yet no house, no equipage, noestablishment; your expences, I should imagine, cannot be verygreat--"

He stopt, and seemed weighing her request. 

Cecilia, shocked at appearing extravagant, yet too generous tomention Mr Harrel, had again recourse to her bookseller's bill, which she told him she was anxious to discharge. 

"A bookseller's bill?" cried he; "and do you want L600 for abookseller's bill?"

"No, Sir, " said she, stammering, "no, --not all for that, --I havesome other--I have a particular occasion--"

"But what bill at all, " cried he, with much surprise, "can a younglady have with a bookseller? The Spectator, Tatler and Guardian, would make library sufficient for any female in the kingdom, nor doI think it like a gentlewoman to have more. Besides, if you allyyourself in such a manner as I shall approve and recommend, youwill, in all probability, find already collected more books thanthere can ever be any possible occasion for you to look into. Andlet me counsel you to remember that a lady, whether so called frombirth or only from fortune, should never degrade herself by beingput on a level with writers, and such sort of people. "

Cecilia thanked him for his advice, but confessed that upon thepresent occasion it came too late, as the books were now actually inher own possession. 

"And have you taken, " cried he, "such a measure as this withoutconsulting me? I thought I had assured you my opinion was always atyour service when you were in any dilemma. "

"Yes, Sir, " answered Cecilia; "but I knew how much you wereoccupied, and wished to avoid taking up your time. "

"I cannot blame your modesty, " he replied, "and therefore, as youhave contracted the debt, you are, in honour, bound to pay it. MrBriggs, however, has the entire management of your fortune, my manyavocations obliging me to decline so laborious a trust; apply, therefore, to him, and, as things are situated, I will make noopposition to your demand. "

"I have already, Sir, " said Cecilia, "spoke to Mr Briggs, but--"

"You went to him first, then?" interrupted Mr Delvile, with a lookof much displeasure. 

"I was unwilling, Sir, to trouble you till I found it unavoidable. "She then acquainted him with Mr Briggs' refusal, and entreated hewould do her the favour to intercede in her behalf, that the moneymight no longer be denied her. 

Every word she spoke his pride seemed rising to resent, and when, she had done, after regarding her some time with apparentindignation, he said, "_I_ intercede! _I_ become anagent!"

Cecilia, amazed to find him thus violently irritated, made a veryearnest apology for her request; but without paying her anyattention, he walked up and down the room, exclaiming, "an agent!and to Mr Briggs!--This is an affront I could never have expected!why did I degrade myself by accepting this humiliating office? Iought to have known better!" Then, turning to Cecilia, "Child, " headded, "for whom is it you take me, and for what?"

Cecilia again, though affronted in her turn, began someprotestations of respect; but haughtily interrupting her, he said, "If of me, and of my rank in life you judge by Mr Briggs or by MrHarrel, I may be subject to proposals such as these every day;suffer me, therefore, for your better information, to hint to you, that the head of an ancient and honourable house, is apt to thinkhimself somewhat superior to people but just rising from dust andobscurity. "

Thunderstruck by this imperious reproof, she could attempt nofurther vindication; but when he observed her consternation, he wassomewhat appeased, and hoping he had now impressed her with a propersense of his dignity, he more gently said, "You did not, I believe, intend to insult me. "

"Good Heaven, Sir; no!" cried Cecilia, "nothing was more distantfrom my thoughts: if my expressions have been faulty, it has beenwholly from ignorance. "

"Well, well, we will think then no more of it. "

She then said she would no longer detain him, and, without daring toagain mention her petition, she wished him good morning. 

He suffered her to go, yet, as she left the room, graciously said, "Think no more of my displeasure, for it is over: I see you were notaware of the extraordinary thing you proposed. I am sorry I cannotpossibly assist you; on any other occasion you may depend upon myservices; but you know Mr Briggs, you have seen him yourself, --judge, then, how a man of any fashion is to accommodate himself withsuch a person!"

Cecilia concurred, and, courtsying, took her leave. 

"Ah!" thought she, in her way home, "how happy is it for me that Ifollowed the advice of Mr Monckton! else I had surely made interestto become an inmate of that house, and then indeed, as he wiselyforesaw, I should inevitably have been overwhelmed by this pompousinsolence! no family, however amiable, could make amends for such amaster of it. "

CHAPTER iii

AN ADMONITION. 

The Harrels and Mr Arnott waited the return of Cecilia with theutmost impatience; she told them with much concern the failure ofher embassy, which Mr Harrel heard with visible resentment anddiscontent, while Mr Arnott, entreating him not to think of it, again made an offer of his services, and declared he would disregardall personal convenience for the pleasure of making him and hissister easy. 

Cecilia was much mortified that she had not the power to act thesame part, and asked Mr Harrel whether he believed his own influencewith Mr Briggs would be more successful. 

"No, no, " answered he, "the old curmudgeon would but the ratherrefuse. I know his reason, and therefore am sure all pleas will bevain. He has dealings in the alley, and I dare say games with yourmoney as if it were his own. There is, indeed, one way--but I do notthink you would like it--though I protest I hardly know why not--however, 'tis as well let alone. "

Cecilia insisted upon hearing what he meant, and, after somehesitation, he hinted that there were means by which, with verylittle inconvenience, she might borrow the money. 

Cecilia, with that horror natural to all unpractised minds at thefirst idea of contracting a voluntary debt, started at thissuggestion, and seemed very ill disposed to listen to it. Mr Harrel, perceiving her repugnance, turned to Mr Arnott, and said, "Well, mygood brother, I hardly know how to suffer you to sell out at such aloss, but yet, my present necessity is so urgent--"

"Don't mention it, " cried Mr Arnott, "I am very sorry I let you knowit; be certain, however, that while I have anything, it is yours andmy sister's. "

The two gentlemen we then retiring together; but Cecilia, shockedfor Mr Arnott, though unmoved by Mr Harrel, stopt them to enquirewhat was the way by which it was meant she could borrow the money?

Mr Harrel seemed averse to answer, but she would not be refused; andthen he mentioned a Jew, of whose honesty he had made undoubtedtrial, and who, as she was so near being of age, would accept verytrifling interest for whatever she should like to take up. 

The heart of Cecilia recoiled at the very mention of a _Jew_, and _taking up money upon interest_; but, impelled strongly byher own generosity to emulate that of Mr Arnott, she agreed, aftersome hesitation, to have recourse to this method. 

Mr Harrel then made some faint denials, and Mr Arnott protested hehad a thousand times rather sell out at any discount, than consentto her taking such a measure; but, when her first reluctance wasconquered, all that he urged served but to shew his worthiness in astronger light, and only increased her desire of saving him fromsuch repeated imposition. 

Her total ignorance in what manner to transact this business, madeher next put it wholly into the hands of Mr Harrel, whom she beggedto take up 600 pounds, upon such terms as he thought equitable, andto which, what ever they might be, she would sign her name. 

He seemed somewhat surprised at the sum, but without any question orobjection undertook the commission: and Cecilia would not lessen it, because unwilling to do more for the security of the luxurious MrHarrel, than for the distresses of the laborious Hills. 

Nothing could be more speedy than the execution of this affair, MrHarrel was diligent and expert, the whole was settled that morning, and, giving to the Jew her bond for the payment at the interest herequired, she put into the hands of Mr Harrel L350, for which hegave his receipt, and she kept the rest for her own purposes. 

She intended the morning after this transaction to settle heraccount with the bookseller. When she went into the parlour tobreakfast, she was somewhat surprised to see Mr Harrel seated there, in earnest discourse with his wife. Fearful of interrupting a_tete-a-tete_ so uncommon, she would have retired, but MrHarrel, calling after her, said, "O pray come in! I am only tellingPriscilla a piece of my usual ill luck. You must know I happen to bein immediate want of L200, though only for three or four days, and Isent to order honest old Aaron to come hither directly with themoney, but it so happens that he went out of town the moment he haddone with us yesterday, and will not be back again this week. Now Idon't believe there is another Jew in the kingdom who will let mehave money upon the same terms; they are such notorious rascals, that I hate the very thought of employing them. "

Cecilia, who could not but understand what this meant, was too muchdispleased both by his extravagance and his indelicacy, to feel atall inclined to change the destination of the money she had justreceived; and therefore coolly agreed that it was unfortunate, butadded nothing more. 

"O, it is provoking indeed, " cried he, "for the extra-interest Imust pay one of those extortioners is absolutely so much moneythrown away. "

Cecilia, still without noticing these hints, began her breakfast. MrHarrel then said he would take his tea with them: and, while he wasbuttering some dry toast, exclaimed, as if from sudden recollection, "O Lord, now I think of it, I believe, Miss Beverley, you can lendme this money yourself for a day or two. The moment old Aaron comesto town, I will pay you. "

Cecilia, whose generosity, however extensive, was neitherthoughtless nor indiscriminate, found something so repulsive in thisgross procedure, that instead of assenting to his request with herusual alacrity, she answered very gravely that the money she hadjust received was already appropriated to a particular purpose, andshe knew not how to defer making use of it. 

Mr Harrel was extremely chagrined by this reply, which was by nomeans what he expected; but, tossing down a dish of tea, he beganhumming an air, and soon recovered his usual unconcern. 

In a few minutes, ringing his bell, he desired a servant to go to MrZackery, and inform him that he wanted to speak with himimmediately. 

"And now, " said he, with a look in which vexation seemed strugglingwith carelessness, "the thing is done! I don't like, indeed, to getinto such hands, for 'tis hard ever to get out of them when once onebegins, --and hitherto I have kept pretty clear. But there's no helpfor it--Mr Arnott cannot just now assist me--and so the thing musttake its course. Priscilla, why do you look so grave?"

"I am thinking how unlucky it is my Brother should happen to beunable to lend you this money. "

"O, don't think about it; I shall get rid of the man very soon Idare say--I hope so, at least--I am sure I mean it. "

Cecilia now grew a little disturbed; she looked at Mrs. Harrel, whoseemed also uneasy, and then, with some hesitation, said "Have youreally never, Sir, employed this man before?"

"Never in my life: never any but old Aaron. I dread the whole race;I have a sort of superstitious notion that if once I get into theirclutches, I shall never be my own man again; and that induced me tobeg your assistance. However, 'tis no great matter. "

She then began to waver; she feared there might be future mischiefas well as present inconvenience, in his applying to new usurers, and knowing she had now the power to prevent him, thought herselfhalf cruel in refusing to exert it. She wished to consult Mr. Monckton, but found it necessary to take her measures immediately, as the Jew was already sent for, and must in a few moments be eitheremployed or discarded. 

Much perplext how to act, between a desire of doing good, and a fearof encouraging evil, she weighed each side hastily, but while stilluncertain which ought to preponderate, her kindness for Mrs. Harrelinterfered, and, in the hope of rescuing her husband from furtherbad practices, she said she would postpone her own business for thefew days he mentioned, rather than see him compelled to open any newaccount with so dangerous a set of men. 

He thanked her in his usual negligent manner, and accepting the 200pounds, gave her his receipt for it, and a promise she should be paidin a week. 

Mrs. Harrel, however, seemed more grateful, and with many embracesspoke her sense of this friendly good nature. Cecilia, happy frombelieving she had revived in her some spark of sensibility, determined to avail herself of so favourable a symptom, and enter atonce upon the disagreeable task she had set herself, of representingto her the danger of her present situation. 

As soon, therefore, as breakfast was done, and Mr Arnott, who camein before it was over, was gone, with a view to excite her attentionby raising her curiosity, she begged the favour of a privateconference in her own room, upon matters of some importance. 

She began with hoping that the friendship in which they had so longlived would make her pardon the liberty she was going to take, andwhich nothing less than their former intimacy, joined to strongapprehensions for her future welfare, could authorise; "But ohPriscilla!" she continued, "with open eyes to see your danger, yetnot warn you of it, would be a reserve treacherous in a friend, andcruel even in a fellow-creature. "

"What danger?" cried Mrs Harrel, much alarmed, "do you think me ill?do I look consumptive?"

"Yes, consumptive indeed!" said Cecilia, "but not, I hope, in yourconstitution. "

And then, with all the tenderness in her power, she came to thepoint, and conjured her without delay to retrench her expences, andchange her thoughtless way of life for one more considerate anddomestic. 

Mrs Harrel, with much simplicity, assured her _she did nothing butwhat every body else did_, and that it was quite impossible forher to _appear in the world_ in any other manner. 

"But how are you to appear hereafter?" cried Cecilia, "if now youlive beyond your income, you must consider that in time your incomeby such depredations will be exhausted. "

"But I declare to you, " answered Mrs Harrel, "I never run in debtfor more than half a year, for as soon as I receive my own money, Igenerally pay it away every shilling: and so borrow what I want tillpay day comes round again. "

"And that, " said Cecilia, "seems a method expressly devised forkeeping you eternally comfortless: pardon me, however, for speakingso openly, but I fear Mr Harrel himself must be even still lessattentive and accurate in his affairs, or he could not so frequentlybe embarrassed. And what is to be the result? look but, my dearPriscilla, a little forward, and you will tremble at the prospectbefore you!"

Mrs Harrel seemed frightened at this speech, and begged to know whatshe would have them do?

Cecilia then, with equal wisdom and friendliness, proposed a generalreform in the household, the public and private expences of both;she advised that a strict examination might be made into the stateof their affairs, that all their bills should be called in, andfaithfully paid, and that an entire new plan of life should beadopted, according to the situation of their fortune and income whencleared of all incumbrances. 

"Lord, my dear!" exclaimed Mrs Harrel, with a look of astonishment, "why Mr Harrel would no more do all this than fly! If I was only tomake such a proposal, I dare say he would laugh in my face. "

"And why?"

"Why?--why because it would seem such an odd thing--it's what nobodythinks of--though I am sure I am very much obliged to you formentioning it. Shall we go down stairs? I think I heard somebodycome in. 

"No matter who comes in, " said Cecilia, "reflect for a moment uponmy proposal, and, at least, if you disapprove it, suggest somethingmore eligible. "

"Oh, it's a very good proposal, that I agree, " said Mrs Harrel, looking very weary, "but only the thing is it's quite impossible. "

"Why so? why is it impossible?"

"Why because--dear, I don't know--but I am sure it is. "

"But what is your reason? What makes you sure of it?"

"Lord, I can't tell--but I know it is--because--I am very certain itis. "

Argument such as this, though extremely fatiguing to theunderstanding of Cecilia, had yet no power to _blunt herpurpose_: she warmly expostulated against the weakness of herdefence, strongly represented the imprudence of her conduct, andexhorted her by every tie of justice, honour and discretion to setabout a reformation. 

"Why what can I do?" cried Mrs Harrel, impatiently, "one must live alittle like other people. You would not have me stared at, Isuppose; and I am sure I don't know what I do that every body elsedoes not do too. "

"But were it not better, " said Cecilia, with more energy, "to thinkless of _other people_, and more of _yourself?_ to consultyour own fortune, and your own situation in life, instead of beingblindly guided by those of _other people_? If, indeed, _otherpeople_ would be responsible for your losses, for the diminutionof your wealth, and for the disorder of your affairs, then might yourationally make their way of life the example of yours: but youcannot flatter yourself such will be the case; you know better; yourlosses, your diminished fortune, your embarrassed circumstances willbe all your own! pitied, perhaps, by some, but blamed by more, andassisted by none!"

"Good Lord, Miss Beverley!" cried Mrs Harrel, starting, "you talkjust as if we were ruined!"

"I mean not that, " replied Cecilia, "but I would fain, by pointingout your danger, prevail with you to prevent in time so dreadful acatastrophe. "

Mrs Harrel, more affronted than alarmed, heard this answer with muchdispleasure, and after a sullen hesitation, peevishly said, "I mustown I don't take it very kind of you to say such frightful things tome; I am sure we only live like the rest of the world, and I don'tsee why a man of Mr Harrel's fortune should live any worse. As tohis having now and then a little debt or two, it is nothing but whatevery body else has. You only think it so odd, because you a'n'tused to it: but you are quite mistaken if you suppose he does notmean to pay, for he told me this morning that as soon as ever hereceives his rents, he intends to discharge every bill he has in theworld. "

"I am very glad to hear it, " answered Cecilia, "and I heartily wishhe may have the resolution to adhere to his purpose. I feared youwould think me impertinent, but you do worse in believing me unkind:friendship and good-will could alone have induced me to hazard whatI have said to you. I must, however, have done; though I cannotforbear adding that I hope what has already passed will sometimesrecur to you. "

They then separated; Mrs Harrel half angry at remonstrances shethought only censorious, and Cecilia offended at her pettishness andfolly, though grieved at her blindness. 

She was soon, however, recompensed for this vexation by a visit fromMrs Delvile, who, finding her alone, sat with her some time, and byher spirit, understanding and elegance, dissipated all her chagrin. 

From another circumstance, also, she received much pleasure, thougha little perplexity; Mr Arnott brought her word that Mr Belfield, almost quite well, had actually left his lodgings, and was gone intothe country. 

She now half suspected that the account of his illness given her byyoung Delvile, was merely the effect of his curiosity to discoverher sentiments of him; yet when she considered how foreign to hischaracter appeared every species of artifice, she exculpated himfrom the design, and concluded that the impatient spirit of Belfieldhad hurried him away, when really unfit for travelling. She had nomeans, however, to hear more of him now he had quitted the town, andtherefore, though uneasy, she was compelled to be patient. 

In the evening she had again a visit from Mr Monckton, who, thoughhe was now acquainted how much she was at home, had the forbearanceto avoid making frequent use of that knowledge, that his attendancemight escape observation. 

Cecilia, as usual, spoke to him of all her affairs with the utmostopenness; and as her mind was now chiefly occupied by herapprehensions for the Harrels, she communicated to him theextravagance of which they were guilty, and hinted at the distressthat from time to time it occasioned; but the assistance she hadafforded them her own delicacy prevented her mentioning. 

Mr Monckton scrupled not from this account instantly to pronounceHarrel a _ruined man_; and thinking Cecilia, from herconnection with him, in much danger of being involved in his futuredifficulties, he most earnestly exhorted her to suffer no inducementto prevail with her to advance him any money, confidently affirmingshe would have little chance of being ever repaid. 

Cecilia listened to this charge with much alarm, but readilypromised future circumspection. She confessed to him the conferenceshe had had in the morning with Mrs Harrel, and after lamenting herdetermined neglect of her affairs, she added, "I cannot but own thatmy esteem for her, even more than my affection, has lessened almostevery day since I have been in her house; but this morning, when Iventured to speak to her with earnestness, I found her powers ofreasoning so weak, and her infatuation to luxury and expence sostrong, that I have ever since felt ashamed of my own discernment inhaving formerly selected her for my friend. "

"When you gave her that title, " said Mr Monckton, "you had littlechoice in your power; her sweetness and good-nature attracted you;childhood is never troubled with foresight, and youth is seldomdifficult: she was lively and pleasing, you were generous andaffectionate; your acquaintance with her was formed while you wereyet too young to know your own worth, your fondness of her grew fromhabit, and before the inferiority of her parts had weakened yourregard, by offending your judgment, her early marriage separated youfrom her entirely. But now you meet again the scene is altered;three years of absence spent in the cultivation of an understandingnaturally of the first order, by encreasing your wisdom, has madeyou more fastidious; while the same time spent by her in mereidleness and shew, has hurt her disposition, without adding to herknowledge, and robbed her of her natural excellencies, withoutenriching her with acquired ones. You see her now with impartiality, for you see her almost as a stranger, and all those deficiencieswhich retirement and inexperience had formerly concealed, hervanity, and her superficial acquaintance with the world, have nowrendered glaring. But folly weakens all bands: remember, therefore, if you would form a solid friendship, to consult not only the heartbut the head, not only the temper, but the understanding. "

"Well, then, " said Cecilia, "at least it must be confessed I havejudiciously chosen _you_!"

"You have, indeed, done me the highest honour, " he answered. 

They then talked of Belfield, and Mr Monckton confirmed the accountof Mr Arnott, that he had left London in good health. After which, he enquired if she had seen any thing more of the Delviles?

"Yes, " said Cecilia, "Mrs. Delvile called upon me this morning. Sheis a delightful woman; I am sorry you know her not enough to do herjustice. "

"Is she civil to you?"

"Civil? she is all kindness!"

"Then depend upon it she has something in view: whenever that is notthe case she is all insolence. And Mr Delvile, --pray what do youthink of him?"

"O, I think him insufferable! and I cannot sufficiently thank youfor that timely caution which prevented my change of habitation. Iwould not live under the same roof with him for the world!"

"Well, and do you not now begin also to see the son properly?"

"Properly? I don't understand you. "

"Why as the very son of such parents, haughty and impertinent. "

"No, indeed; he has not the smallest resemblance [to] his father, and if he resembles his mother, it is only what every one must wishwho impartially sees her. "

"You know not that family. But how, indeed, should you, when theyare in a combination to prevent your getting that knowledge? Theyhave all their designs upon you, and if you are not carefully uponyour guard, you will be the dupe to them. "

"What can you possibly mean?"

"Nothing but what every body else must immediately see; they have agreat share of pride, and a small one of wealth; you seem by fortuneto be flung in their way, and doubtless they mean not to neglect soinviting an opportunity of repairing their estates. "

"Indeed you are mistaken; I am certain they have no such intention:on the contrary, they all even teasingly persist in thinking mealready engaged elsewhere. "

She then gave him a history of their several suspicions. 

"The impertinence of report, " she added, "has so much convinced themthat Sir Robert Floyer and Mr Belfield fought merely as rivals, thatI can only clear myself of partiality for one of them, to have itinstantly concluded I feel it for the other. And, far from seeminghurt that I appear to be disposed of, Mr Delvile openly seconds thepretensions of Sir Robert, and his son officiously persuades me thatI am already Mr Belfield's. "

"Tricks, nothing but tricks to discover your real situation. "

He then gave her some general cautions to be upon her guard againsttheir artifices, and changing the subject, talked, for the rest ofhis visit, upon matters of general entertainment. 

CHAPTER iv

AN EVASION. 

Cecilia now for about a fortnight passed her time without incident;the Harrels continued their accustomed dissipation, Sir RobertFloyer, without even seeking a private conference, persevered in hisattentions, and Mr Arnott, though still silent and humble, seemedonly to live by the pleasure of beholding her. She spent two wholedays with Mrs Delvile, both of which served to confirm heradmiration of that lady and of her son; and she joined the partiesof the Harrels, or stayed quietly at home, according to her spiritsand inclinations: while she was visited by Mr Monckton often enoughto satisfy him with her proceedings, yet too seldom to betray eitherto herself or to the world any suspicion of his designs. 

Her L200 pounds however, which was to have been returned at the endif the first week, though a fortnight was now elapsed, had not evenbeen mentioned; she began to grow very impatient, but not knowingwhat course to pursue, and wanting courage to remind Mr Harrel ofhis promise, she still waited the performance of it withoutspeaking. 

At this time, preparations were making in the family for removing toViolet-bank to spend the Easter holidays: but Cecilia, who was toomuch grieved at such perpetual encrease of unnecessary expences tohave any enjoyment in new prospects of entertainment, had at presentsome business of her own which gave her full employment. 

The poor carpenter, whose family she had taken under her protection, was just dead, and, as soon as the last duties had been paid him, she sent for his widow, and after trying to console her for the lossshe had suffered, assured her she was immediately ready to fulfilthe engagement into which she had entered, of assisting her toundertake some better method of procuring a livelihood; andtherefore desired to know in what manner she could serve her, andwhat she thought herself able to do. 

The good woman, pouring forth thanks and praises innumerable, answered that she had a Cousin, who had offered, for a certainpremium, to take her into partnership in a small haberdasher's shop. "But then, madam, " continued she, "it's quite morally impossible Ishould raise such a sum, or else, to be sure, such a shop as that, now I am grown so poorly, would be quite a heaven upon earth to me:for my strength, madam, is almost all gone away, and when I do anyhard work, it's quite a piteous sight to see me, for I am all in atremble after it, just as if I had an ague, and yet all the time myhands, madam, will be burning like a coal!"

"You have indeed been overworked, " said Cecilia, "and it is hightime your feeble frame should have some rest. What is the sum yourcousin demands?"

"O madam, more than I should be able to get together in all my life!for earn what I will, it goes as fast as it conies, because there'smany mouths, and small pay, and two of the little ones that can'thelp at all;--and there's no Billy, madam, to work for us now!"

"But tell me, what is the sum?"

"Sixty pound, madam. "

"You shall have it!" cried the generous Cecilia, "if the situationwill make you happy, I will give it you myself. "

The poor woman wept her thanks, and was long before she couldsufficiently compose herself to answer the further questions ofCecilia, who next enquired what could be done with the children? MrsHill, however, hitherto hopeless of such a provision for herself, had for them formed no plan. She told her, therefore, to go to hercousin, and consult upon this subject, as well as to makepreparations for her own removal. 

The arrangement of this business now became her favouriteoccupation. She went herself to the shop, which was a very small onein Fetter-lane, and spoke with Mrs Roberts, the cousin; who agreedto take the eldest girl, now sixteen years of age, by way of helper;but said she had room for no other: however, upon Cecilia's offeringto raise the premium, she consented that the two little childrenshould also live in the house, where they might be under the care oftheir mother and sister. 

There were still two others to be disposed of; but as no immediatemethod of providing for them occurred to Cecilia, she determined, for the present, to place them in some cheap school, where theymight be taught plain work, which could not but prove a usefulqualification for whatever sort of business they might hereafterattempt. 

Her plan was to bestow upon Mrs Hill and her children L100 by way ofputting them all into a decent way of living; and, then, from timeto time, to make them such small presents as their future exigenciesor changes of situation might require. 

Now, therefore, payment from Mr Harrel became immediately necessary, for she had only L50 of the L600 she had taken up in her ownpossession, and her customary allowance was already so appropriatedthat she could make from it no considerable deduction. 

There is something in the sight of laborious indigence so affectingand so respectable, that it renders dissipation peculiarlycontemptible, and doubles the odium of extravagance: every timeCecilia saw this poor family, her aversion to the conduct and theprinciples of Mr Harrel encreased, while her delicacy of shocking orshaming him diminished, and she soon acquired for them what she hadfailed to acquire for herself, the spirit and resolution to claimher debt. 

One morning, therefore, as he was quitting the breakfast room, shehastily arose, and following, begged to have a moment's discoursewith him. They went together to the library, and after someapologies, and much hesitation, she told him she fancied he hadforgotten the L200 which she had lent him. 

"The L200, " cried he; "O, ay, true!--I protest it had escaped me. Well, but you don't want it immediately?"

"Indeed I do, if you can conveniently spare it. "

"O yes, certainly!--without the least doubt!--Though now I think ofit--it's extremely unlucky, but really just at this time--why didnot you put me in mind of it before?"

"I hoped you would have remembered it yourself. "

"I could have paid you two days ago extremely well--however, youshall certainly have it very soon, that you may depend upon, and aday or two can make no great difference to you. "

He then wished her good morning, and left her. 

Cecilia, very much provoked, regretted that she had ever lent it atall, and determined for the future strictly to follow the advice ofMr. Monckton in trusting him no more. 

Two or three days passed on, but still no notice was taken either ofthe payment or of the debt. She then resolved to renew herapplication, and be more serious and more urgent with him; but shefound, to her utter surprise, this was not in her power, and thatthough she lived under the same roof with him, she had noopportunity to enforce her claim. Mr. Harrel, whenever she desiredto speak with him, protested he was so much hurried he had not amoment to spare: and even when, tired of his excuses, she pursuedhim out of the room, he only quickened his speed, smiling, however, and bowing, and calling out "I am vastly sorry, but I am so late nowI cannot stop an instant; however, as soon as I come back, I shallbe wholly at your command. "

When he came back, however, Sir Robert Floyer, or some othergentleman, was sure to be with him, and the difficulties ofobtaining an audience were sure to be encreased. And by this method, which he constantly practised, of avoiding any private conversation, he frustrated all her schemes of remonstrating upon his delay, sinceher resentment, however great, could never urge her to theindelicacy of dunning him in presence of a third person. 

She was now much perplext herself how to put into execution herplans for the Hills: she knew it would be as vain to apply for moneyto Mr. Briggs, as for payment to Mr. Harrel. Her word, however, hadbeen given, and her word she held sacred: she resolved, therefore, for the present, to bestow upon them the 50 pounds she still retained, and, if the rest should be necessary before she became of age, tospare it, however inconveniently, from her private allowance, which, by the will of her uncle, was 500 pounds a year, 250 pounds of whichMr Harrel received for her board and accommodations. 

Having settled this matter in her own mind, she went to the lodgingof Mrs Hill, in order to conclude the affair. She found her and allher children, except the youngest, hard at work, and their honestindustry so much strengthened her compassion, that her wishes forserving them grew every instant more liberal. 

Mrs Hill readily undertook to make her cousin accept half thepremium for the present, which would suffice to fix her, with threeof her children, in the shop: Cecilia then went with her to Fetter-lane, and there, drawing up herself an agreement for their enteringinto partnership, she made each of them sign it and take a copy, andkept a third in her own possession: after which, she gave apromissory note to Mrs Roberts for the rest of the money. 

She presented Mrs Hill, also, with 10 pounds to clothe them alldecently, and enable her to send two of the children to school;and assured her that she would herself pay for their board andinstruction, till she should be established in her business, andhave power to save money for that purpose. 

She then put herself into a chair to return home, followed by theprayers and blessings of the whole family. 

CHAPTER v

AN ADVENTURE. 

Never had the heart of Cecilia felt so light, so gay, so glowing asafter the transaction of this affair: her life had never appeared toher so important, nor her wealth so valuable. To see five helplesschildren provided for by herself, rescued from the extremes ofpenury and wretchedness, and put in a way to become useful tosociety, and comfortable to themselves; to behold their feeblemother, snatched from the hardship of that labour which, over-powering her strength, had almost destroyed her existence, nowplaced in a situation where a competent maintenance might be earnedwithout fatigue, and the remnant of her days pass in easyemployment--to view such sights, and have power to say "_Thesedeeds are mine!_" what, to a disposition fraught with tendernessand benevolence, could give purer self-applause, or more exquisitesatisfaction?

Such were the pleasures which regaled the reflections of Ceciliawhen, in her way home, having got out of her chair to walk throughthe upper part of Oxford Street, she was suddenly met by the oldgentleman whose emphatical addresses to her had so much excited herastonishment. 

He was passing quick on, but stopping the moment he perceived her, he sternly called out "Are you proud? are you callous? are you hardof heart so soon?"

"Put me, if you please, to some trial!" cried Cecilia, with thevirtuous courage of a self-acquitting conscience. 

"I already have!" returned he, indignantly, "and already I havefound you faulty!"

"I am sorry to hear it, " said the amazed Cecilia, "but at least Ihope you will tell me in what?"

"You refused me admittance, " he answered, "yet I was your friend, yet I was willing to prolong the term of your genuine[tranquillity]! I pointed out to you a method of preserving peacewith your own soul; I came to you in behalf of the poor, andinstructed you how to merit their prayers; you heard me, you weresusceptible, you complied! I meant to have repeated the lesson, tohave tuned your whole heart to compassion, and to have taught youthe sad duties of sympathising humanity. For this purpose I calledagain, but again I was not admitted! Short was the period of myabsence, yet long enough for the completion of your downfall!"

"Good heaven, " cried Cecilia, "how dreadful is this language! whenhave you called, Sir? I never heard you had been at the house. Farfrom refusing you admittance, I wished to see you. "

"Indeed?" cried he, with some softness, "and are you, in truth, notproud? not callous? not hard of heart? Follow me, then, and visitthe humble and the poor, follow me, and give comfort to the fallenand dejected!"

At this invitation, however desirous to do good, Cecilia started;the strangeness of the inviter, his flightiness, his authoritativemanner, and the uncertainty whither or to whom he might carry her, made her fearful of proceeding: yet a benevolent curiosity to see aswell as serve the objects of his recommendation, joined to theeagerness of youthful integrity to clear her own character from theaspersion of hard-heartedness, soon conquered her irresolution, andmaking a sign to her servant to keep near her, she followed as herconductor led. 

He went on silently and solemnly till he came to Swallow-street, then turning into it, he stopt at a small and mean-looking house, knocked at the door, and without asking any question of the man whoopened it, beckoned her to come after him, and hastened up somenarrow winding stairs. 

Cecilia again hesitated; but when she recollected that this old man, though little known, was frequently seen, and though with few peopleacquainted, was by many personally recognized, she thought itimpossible he could mean her any injury. She ordered her servant, however, to come in, and bid him keep walking up and down the stairstill she returned to him. And then she obeyed the directions of herguide. 

He proceeded till he came to the second floor, then, again beckoningher to follow him, he opened a door, and entered a small and verymeanly furnished apartment. 

And here, to her infinite astonishment, she perceived, employed inwashing some china, a very lovely young woman, [genteelly] dressed, and appearing hardly seventeen years of age. 

The moment they came in, with evident marks of confusion, sheinstantly gave over her work, hastily putting the basin she waswashing upon the table, and endeavouring to hide the towel withwhich she was wiping it behind her chair. 

The old gentleman, advancing to her with quickness, said, "How is henow? Is he better? will he live?"

"Heaven forbid he should not!" answered the young woman withemotion, "but, indeed, he is no better!"

"Look here, " said he, pointing to Cecilia, "I have brought you onewho has power to serve you, and to relieve your distress: one who isrolling in affluence, a stranger to ill, a novice in the world;unskilled in the miseries she is yet to endure, unconscious of thedepravity into which she is to sink! receive her benefactions whileyet she is untainted, satisfied that while, she aids you, she isblessing herself!"

The young woman, blushing and abashed, said, "You are very good tome, Sir, but there is no occasion--there is no need--I have not anynecessity--I am far from being so very much in want--"

"Poor, simple soul!" interrupted the old man, "and art thou ashamedof poverty? Guard, guard thyself from other shames, and thewealthiest may envy thee! Tell her thy story, plainly, roundly, truly; abate nothing of thy indigence, repress nothing of herliberality. The Poor not impoverished by their own Guilt, are Equalsof the Affluent, not enriched by their own Virtue. Come, then, andlet me present ye to each other! young as ye both are, with manyyears and many sorrows to encounter, lighten the burthen of eachother's cares, by the heart-soothing exchange of gratitude forbeneficence!"

He then took a hand of each, and joining them between his own, "_You_, " he continued, "who, though rich, are not hardened, andyou, who though poor, are not debased, why should ye not love, whyshould ye not cherish each other? The afflictions of life aretedious, its joys are evanescent; ye are now both young, and, withlittle to enjoy, will find much to suffer. Ye are both, too, Ibelieve, innocent--Oh could ye always remain so!--Cherubs were yethen, and the sons of men might worship you!"

He stopt, checked by his own rising emotion; but soon resuming hisusual austerity, "Such, however, " he continued, "is not thecondition of humanity; in pity, therefore, to the evils impendingover both, be kind to each other! I leave you together, and to yourmutual tenderness I recommend you!"

Then, turning particularly to Cecilia, "Disdain not, " he said, "toconsole the depressed; look upon her without scorn, converse withher without contempt: like you, she is an orphan, though not likeyou, an heiress;--like her, you are fatherless, though not like herfriendless! If she is awaited by the temptations of adversity, you, also, are surrounded by the corruptions of prosperity. Your fall ismost probable, her's most excusable;--commiserate _her_therefore now, --by and by she may commiserate _you_?"

And with these words he left the room. 

A total silence for some time succeeded his departure: Cecilia foundit difficult to recover from the surprise into which she had beenthrown sufficiently for speech: in following her extraordinarydirector, her imagination had painted to her a scene such as she hadso lately quitted, and prepared her to behold some family indistress, some helpless creature in sickness, or some children inwant; but of these to see none, to meet but one person, and that onefair, young, and delicate, --an introduction so singular to an objectso unthought of, deprived her of all power but that of shewing heramazement. 

Mean while the young woman looked scarcely less surprised, andinfinitely more embarrassed. She surveyed her apartment withvexation, and her guest with confusion; she had listened to theexhortation of the old man with visible uneasiness, and now he wasgone, seemed overwhelmed with shame and chagrin. 

Cecilia, who in observing these emotions felt both her curiosity andher compassion encrease, pressed her hand as she parted with it, and, when a little recovered, said, "You must think this a strangeintrusion; but the gentleman who brought me hither is perhaps sowell known to you, as to make his singularities plead with you theirown apology. "

"No indeed, madam, " she answered, bashfully, "he is very littleknown to me; but he is very good, and very desirous to do meservice:--not but what I believe he thinks me much worse off than Ireally am, for, I assure you, madam, whatever he has said, I am notill off at all--hardly. "

The various doubts to her disadvantage, which had at first, from heruncommon situation, arisen in the mind of Cecilia, this anxiety todisguise, not display her distress, considerably removed, since itcleared her of all suspicion of seeking by artifice and impositionto play upon her feelings. 

With a gentleness, therefore, the most soothing, she replied, "Ishould by no means have broken in upon you thus unexpectedly, if Ihad not concluded my conductor had some right to bring me. However, since we are actually met, let us remember his injunctions, andendeavour not to part till, by a mutual exchange of good-will, eachhas added a friend to the other. "

"You are condescending, indeed, madam, " answered the young woman, with an air the most humble, "looking as you look, to talk of afriend when you come to such a place as this! up two pair of stairs!no furniture! no servant! every thing in such disorder!--indeed Iwonder at Mr. Albany! he should not--but he thinks every body'saffairs may be made public, and does not care what he tells, nor whohears him;--he knows not the pain he gives, nor the mischief he maydo. "

"I am very much concerned, " cried Cecilia, more and more surprisedat all she heard, "to find I have been thus instrumental todistressing you. I was ignorant whither I was coming, and followedhim, believe me, neither from curiosity nor inclination, but simplybecause I knew not how to refuse him. He is gone, however, and Iwill therefore relieve you by going too: but permit me to leavebehind me a small testimony that the intention of my coming was notmere impertinence. "

She then took out her purse; but the young woman, starting back witha look of resentful mortification, exclaimed, "No, madam! you arequite mistaken; pray put up your purse; I am no beggar! Mr Albanyhas misrepresented me, if he has told you I am. "

Cecilia, mortified in her turn at this unexpected rejection of anoffer she had thought herself invited to make, stood some momentssilent; and then said, "I am far from meaning to offend you, and Isincerely beg your pardon if I have misunderstood the charge justnow given to me. "

"I have nothing to pardon, madam, " said she, more calmly, "except, indeed, to Mr Albany; and to him, 'tis of no use to be angry, for heminds not what I say! he is very good, but he is very strange, forhe thinks the whole world made to live in common, and that every onewho is poor should ask, and every one who is rich should give: hedoes not know that there are many who would rather starve. "

"And are you, " said Cecilia, half-smiling, "of that number?"

"No, indeed, madam! I have not so much greatness of mind. But thoseto whom I belong have more fortitude and higher spirit. I wish Icould imitate them!"

Struck with the candour and simplicity of this speech, Cecilia nowfelt a warm desire to serve her, and taking her hand, said, "Forgiveme, but though I see you wish me gone, I know not how to leave you:recollect, therefore, the charge that has been given to us both, andif you refuse my assistance one way, point out to me in what other Imay offer it. "

"You are very kind, madam, " she answered, "and I dare say you arevery good; I am sure you look so, at least. But I want nothing; I dovery well, and I have hopes of doing better. Mr Albany is tooimpatient. He knows, indeed, that I am not extremely rich, but he ismuch to blame if he supposes me therefore an object of charity, andthinks me so mean as to receive money from a stranger. "

"I am truly sorry, " cried Cecilia, "for the error I have committed, but you must suffer me to make my peace with you before we part:yet, till I am better known to you, I am fearful of proposing terms. Perhaps you will permit me to leave you my direction, and do me thefavour to call upon me yourself?"

"O no, madam! I have a sick relation whom I cannot leave: andindeed, if he were well, he would not like to have me make anacquaintance while I am in this place. "

"I hope you are not his only nurse? I am sure you do not look ableto bear such fatigue. Has he a physician? Is he properly attended?"

"No, madam; he has no physician, and no attendance at all!"

"And is it possible that in such a situation you can refuse to beassisted? Surely you should accept some help for him, if not foryourself. "

"But what will that signify when, if I do, he will not make use ofit? and when he had a thousand and a thousand times rather die, thanlet any one know he is in want?"

"Take it, then, unknown to him; serve him without acquainting himyou serve him. Surely you would not suffer him to perish withoutaid?"

"Heaven forbid! But what can I do? I am under his command, madam, not he under mine!"

"Is he your father?--Pardon my question, but your youth seems muchto want such a protector. "

"No, madam, I have no father! I was happier when I had! He is mybrother. "

"And what is his illness?"

"A fever. "

"A fever, and without a physician! Are you sure, too, it is notinfectious?"

"O yes, too sure!"

"Too sure? how so?"

"Because I know too well the occasion of it!"

"And what is the occasion?" cried Cecilia, again taking her hand, "pray trust me; indeed you shall not repent your confidence. Yourreserve hitherto has only raised you in my esteem, but do not carryit so far as to mortify me by a total rejection of my good offices. "

"Ah madam!" said the young woman, sighing, "you ought to be good, Iam sure, for you will draw all out of me by such kindness as this!the occasion was a neglected wound, never properly healed. "

"A wound? is he in the army?"

"No, --he was shot through the side in a duel. "

"In a duel?" exclaimed Cecilia, "pray what is his name?"

"O that I must not tell you! his name is a great secret now, whilehe is in this poor place, for I know he had almost rather never seethe light again than have it known. "

"Surely, surely, " cried Cecilia, with much emotion, "he cannot--Ihope he cannot be Mr Belfield?"

"Ah Heaven!" cried the young woman, screaming, "do you then knowhim?"

Here, in mutual astonishment, they looked at each other. 

"You are then, " said Cecilia, "the sister of Mr Belfield? And MrBelfield is thus sick, his wound is not yet healed, --and he iswithout any help!"

"And who, madam, are _you_?" cried she, "and how is it you knowhim?"

"My name is Beverley. "

"Ah!" exclaimed she again, "I fear I have done nothing but mischief!I know very well who you are now, madam, but if my brother discoversthat I have betrayed him, he will take it very unkind, and perhapsnever forgive me. "

"Be not alarmed, " cried Cecilia; "rest assured he shall never knowit. Is he not now in the country?"

"No, madam, he is now in the very next room. "

"But what is become of the surgeon who used to attend him, and whydoes he not still visit him?"

"It is in vain, now, to hide any thing from you; my brother deceivedhim, and said he was going out of town merely to get rid of him. "

"And what could induce him to act so strangely?"

"A reason which you, madam, I hope, will never know, Poverty!--hewould not run up a bill he could not pay. "

"Good Heaven!--But what can be done for him? He must not be sufferedto linger thus; we must contrive some method of relieving andassisting him, whether he will consent or not. "

"I fear that will not be possible. One of his friends has alreadyfound him out, and has written him the kindest letter! but he wouldnot answer it, and would not see him, and was only fretted andangry. "

"Well, " said Cecilia, "I will not keep you longer, lest he should bealarmed by your absence. To-morrow morning, with your leave, I willcall upon you again, and then, I hope, you will permit me to makesome effort to assist you. "

"If it only depended upon me, madam, " she answered, "now I have thehonour to know who you are, I believe I should not make muchscruple, for I was not brought up to notions so high as my brother. Ah! happy had it been for him, for me, for all his family, if he hadnot had them neither!"

Cecilia then repeated her expressions of comfort and kindness, andtook her leave. 

This little adventure gave her infinite concern; all the horrorwhich the duel had originally occasioned her, again returned; sheaccused herself with much bitterness for having brought it on; andfinding that Mr Belfield was so cruelly a sufferer both in hishealth and his affairs, she thought it incumbent upon her to relievehim to the utmost of her ability. 

His sister, too, had extremely interested her; her youth, and theuncommon artlessness of her conversation, added to her melancholysituation, and the loveliness of her person, excited in her a desireto serve, and an inclination to love her; and she determined, if shefound her as deserving as she seemed engaging, not only to assisther at present, but, if her distresses continued, to received herinto her own house in future. 

Again she regretted the undue detention of her L200. What she nowhad to spare was extremely inadequate to what she now wished tobestow, and she looked forward to the conclusion of her minoritywith encreasing eagerness. The generous and elegant plan of life shethen intended to pursue, daily gained ground in her imagination, andcredit in her opinion. 

CHAPTER vi

A MAN OF GENIUS. 

The next morning, as soon as breakfast was over, Cecilia went in achair to Swallow-street; she enquired for Miss Belfield, and wastold to go up stairs: but what was her amazement to meet, justcoming out of the room into which she was entering, young Delvile!

They both started, and Cecilia, from the seeming strangeness of hersituation, felt a confusion with which she had hitherto beenunacquainted. But Delvile, presently recovering from his surprise, said to her, with an expressive smile, "How good is Miss Beverleythus to visit the sick! and how much better might I have had thepleasure of seeing Mr Belfield, had I but, by prescience, known herdesign, and deferred my own enquiries till he had been revived byhers!"

And then, bowing and wishing her good morning, he glided past her. 

Cecilia, notwithstanding the openness and purity of her intentions, was so much disconcerted by this unexpected meeting, and pointedspeech, that she had not the presence of mind to call him back andclear herself: and the various interrogatories and railleries whichhad already passed between them upon the subject of Mr Belfield, made her suppose that what he had formerly suspected he would nowthink confirmed, and conclude that all her assertions ofindifference, proceeded merely from that readiness at hypocrisy uponparticular subjects, of which he had openly accused her whole Sex. 

This circumstance and this apprehension took from her for a whileall interest in the errand upon which she came; but the benevolenceof her heart soon brought it back, when, upon going into the room, she saw her new favourite in tears. 

"What is the matter?" cried she, tenderly; "no new affliction I hopehas happened? Your brother is not worse?"

"No, madam, he is much the same; I was not then crying for him. "

"For what then? tell me, acquaint me with your sorrows, and assureyourself you tell them to a friend. "

"I was crying, madam, to find so much goodness in the world, when Ithought there was so little! to find I have some chance of beingagain happy, when I thought I was miserable for ever! Two wholeyears have I spent in nothing but unhappiness, and I thought therewas nothing else to be had; but yesterday, madam, brought me you, with every promise of nobleness and protection; and to-day, a friendof my brother's has behaved so generously, that even my brother haslistened to him, and almost consented to be obliged to him!"

"And have you already known so much sorrow, " said Cecilia, "thatthis little dawn of prosperity should wholly overpower your spirits?Gentle, amiable girl! may the future recompense you for the past, and may Mr Albany's kind wishes be fulfilled in the reciprocation ofour comfort and affection!"

They then entered into a conversation which the sweetness ofCecilia, and the gratitude of Miss Belfield, soon renderedinteresting, friendly and unreserved: and in a very short time, whatever was essential in the story or situation of the latter wasfully communicated. She gave, however, a charge the most earnest, that her brother should never be acquainted with the confidence shehad made. 

Her father, who had been dead only two years, was a linen-draper inthe city; he had six daughters, of whom herself was the youngest, and only one son. This son, Mr Belfield, was alike the darling ofhis father, mother, and sisters: he was brought up at Eaton, noexpence was spared in his education, nothing was denied that couldmake him happy. With an excellent understanding he had uncommonquickness of parts, and his progress in his studies was rapid andhonourable: his father, though he always meant him for his successorin his business, heard of his improvement with rapture, oftensaying, "My boy will be the ornament of the city, he will be thebest scholar in any shop in London. "

He was soon, however, taught another lesson; when, at the age ofsixteen, he returned home, and was placed in the shop, instead ofapplying his talents, as his father had expected, to trade, he bothdespised and abhorred the name of it; when serious, treating it withcontempt, when gay, with derision. 

He was seized, also, with a most ardent desire to finish hiseducation, like those of his school-fellows who left Eaton at thesame time, at one of the Universities; and, after many difficulties, this petition, at the intercession of his mother, was granted, oldMr Belfield telling him he hoped a little more learning would givehim a little more sense, and that when he became a _finishedstudent_, he would not only know the true value of business, butunderstand how to get money, and make a bargain, better than any manwhatsoever within Temple Bar. 

These expectations, equally shortsighted, were also equallyfallacious with the former: the son again returned, and returned, ashis father had hoped, a _finished student_; but, far from beingmore tractable, or better disposed for application to trade, hisaversion to it now was more stubborn, and his opposition more hardythan ever. The young men of fashion with whom he had formedfriendships at school, or at the University, and with whom, from theindulgence of his father, he was always able to vie in expence, andfrom the indulgence of Nature to excel in capacity, earnestly soughtthe continuance of his acquaintance, and courted and coveted thepleasure of his conversation: but though he was now totallydisqualified for any other society, he lost all delight in theirfavour from the fear they should discover his abode, and sedulouslyendeavoured to avoid even occasionally meeting them, lest any of hisfamily should at the same time approach him: for of his family, though wealthy, worthy, and independent, he was now so utterlyashamed, that the mortification the most cruel he could receive, wasto be asked his address, or told he should be visited. 

Tired, at length, of evading the enquiries made by some, and forcingfaint laughs at the detection made by others, he privately took alodging at the west end of the town, to which he thence forwarddirected all his friends, and where, under various pretences, hecontrived to spend the greatest part of his time. 

In all his expensive deceits and frolics, his mother was his never-failing confidant and assistant; for when she heard that thecompanions of her son were men of fashion, some born to titles, others destined to high stations, she concluded he was in thecertain road to honour and profit, and frequently distressedherself, without ever repining, in order to enable him to preserveupon equal terms, connections which she believed so conducive to hisfuture grandeur. 

In this wild and unsettled manner he passed some time, strugglingincessantly against the authority of his father, privately abettedby his mother, and constantly aided and admired by his sisters:till, sick of so desultory a way of life, he entered himself avolunteer in the army. 

How soon he grew tired of this change has already been related, [Footnote: Book 1, Chap. II. ] as well as his reconciliation withhis father, and his becoming a student at the Temple: for the fathernow grew as weary of opposing, as the young man of being opposed. 

Here, for two or three years, he lived in happiness uninterrupted;he extended his acquaintance among the great, by whom he was nosooner known than caressed and admired, and he frequently visitedhis family, which, though he blushed to own in public, heaffectionately loved in private. His profession, indeed, was butlittle in his thoughts, successive engagements occupying almost allhis hours. Delighted with the favour of the world, and charmed tofind his presence seemed the signal for entertainment, he soonforgot the uncertainty of his fortune, and the inferiority of hisrank: the law grew more and more fatiguing, pleasure became more andmore alluring, and, by degrees, he had not a day unappropriated tosome party or amusement; voluntarily consigning the few leisuremoments his gay circle afforded him, to the indulgence of his fancyin some hasty compositions in verse, which were handed about inmanuscript, and which contributed to keep him in fashion. 

Such was his situation at the death of his father; a new scene wasthen opened to him, and for some time he hesitated what course topursue. 

Old Mr Belfield, though he lived in great affluence, left not behindhim any considerable fortune, after the portions of his daughters, to each of whom he bequeathed L2000, had been deducted from it. Buthis stock in trade was great, and his business was prosperous andlucrative. 

His son, however, did not merely want application and fortitude tobecome his successor, but skill and knowledge; his deliberation, therefore, was hasty, and his resolution improvident; he determinedto continue at the Temple himself, while the shop, which he could byno means afford to relinquish, should be kept up by another name, and the business of it be transacted by an agent; hoping thus tosecure and enjoy its emoluments, without either the trouble or thehumiliation of attendance. 

But this scheme, like most others that have their basis in vanity, ended in nothing but mortification and disappointment: the shopwhich under old Mr. Belfield had been flourishing and successful, and enriched himself and all his family, could now scarce supportthe expences of an individual. Without a master, without thatdiligent attention to its prosperity which the interest ofpossession alone can give, and the authority of a principal alonecan enforce, it quickly lost its fame for the excellence of itsgoods, and soon after its customers from the report of itsdeclension. The produce, therefore, diminished every month; he wassurprised, he was provoked; he was convinced he was cheated, andthat his affairs were neglected; but though he threatened from timeto time to enquire into the real state of the business, andinvestigate the cause of its decay, he felt himself inadequate tothe task; and now first lamented that early contempt of trade, whichby preventing him acquiring some knowledge of it while he had youthand opportunity, made him now ignorant what redress to seek, thoughcertain of imposition and injury. 

But yet, however disturbed by alarming suggestions in his hours ofretirement, no alteration was made in the general course of hislife; he was still the darling of his friends, and the leader in allparties, and still, though his income was lessened, his expencesencreased. 

Such were his circumstances at the time Cecilia first saw him at thehouse of Mr. Monckton: from which, two days after her arrival intown, he was himself summoned, by an information that his agent hadsuddenly left the kingdom. 

The fatal consequence of this fraudulent elopement was immediatebankruptcy. 

His spirits, however, did not yet fail him; as he had never been thenominal master of the shop, he escaped all dishonour from its ruin, and was satisfied to consign what remained to the mercy of thecreditors, so that his own name should not appear in the_Gazette_. 

Three of his sisters were already extremely well married toreputable tradesmen; the two elder of those who were yet single weresettled with two of those who were married, and Henrietta, theyoungest, resided with her mother, who had a comfortable annuity, and a small house at Padington. 

Bereft thus through vanity and imprudence of all the long labours ofhis father, he was now compelled to think seriously of some actualmethod of maintenance; since his mother, though willing to sacrificeto him even the nourishment which sustained her, could do for himbut little, and that little he had too much justice to accept. Thelaw, even to the most diligent and successful, is extremely slow ofprofit, and whatever, from his connections and abilities might behoped hereafter, at present required an expence which he was nolonger able to support. 

It remained then to try his influence with his friends among thegreat and the powerful. 

His canvas proved extremely honourable; every one promisedsomething, and all seemed delighted to have an opportunity ofserving him. 

Pleased with finding the world so much better than report had madeit, he now saw the conclusion of his difficulties in the prospect ofa place at court. 

Belfield, with half the penetration with which he was gifted, wouldhave seen in any other man the delusive idleness of expectations nobetter founded; but though discernment teaches us the folly ofothers, experience singly can teach us our own! he flattered himselfthat his friends had been more wisely selected than the friends ofthose who in similar circumstances had been beguiled, and hesuspected not the fraud of his vanity, till he found his invitationsdaily slacken, and that his time was at his own command. 

All his hopes now rested upon one friend and patron, Mr Floyer, an uncle of Sir Robert Floyer, a man of power in theroyal household, with whom he had lived in great intimacy, and whoat this period had the disposal of a place which he solicited. Theonly obstacle that seemed in his way was from Sir Robert himself, who warmly exerted his interest in favour of a friend of his own. MrFloyer, however, assured Belfield of the preference, and only beggedhis patience till he could find some opportunity of appeasing hisnephew. 

And this was the state of his affairs at the time of his quarrel atthe Opera-house. Already declared opponents of each other, SirRobert felt double wrath that for _him_ Cecilia should rejecthis civilities; while Belfield, suspecting he presumed upon hisknown dependence on his uncle to affront him, felt also doubleindignation at the haughtiness of his behaviour. And thus, slight asseemed to the world the cause of their contest, each had privatemotives of animosity that served to stimulate revenge. 

The very day after this duel, Mr Floyer wrote him word that he wasnow obliged in common decency to take the part of his nephew, andtherefore had already given the place to the friend he hadrecommended. 

This was the termination of his hopes, and the signal of his ruin!To the pain of his wound he became insensible, from the superiorpain of this unexpected miscarriage; yet his pride still enabled himto disguise his distress, and to see all the friends whom thisaccident induced to seek him, while from the sprightliness he forcedin order to conceal his anguish, he appeared to them more lively andmore entertaining than ever. 

But these efforts, when left to himself and to nature, only sunk himthe deeper in sadness; he found an immediate change in his way oflife was necessary, yet could not brook to make it in sight of thosewith whom he had so long lived in all the brilliancy of equality. Ahigh principle of honour which still, in the midst of his gaycareer, had remained uncorrupted, had scrupulously guarded him fromrunning in debt, and therefore, though of little possessed, thatlittle was strictly his own. He now published that he was going outof town for the benefit of purer air, discharged his surgeon, took agay leave of his friends, and trusting no one with his secret buthis servant, was privately conveyed to mean and cheap lodgings inSwallow-street. 

Here, shut up from every human being he had formerly known, hepurposed to remain till he grew better, and then again to seek hisfortune in the army. 

His present situation, however, was little calculated to contributeto his recovery; the dismission of the surgeon, the precipitation ofhis removal, the inconveniencies of his lodgings, and theunseasonable deprivation of long customary indulgencies, wereunavoidable delays of his amendment; while the mortification of hispresent disgrace, and the bitterness of his late disappointment, preyed incessantly upon his mind, robbed him of rest, heightened hisfever, and reduced him by degrees to a state so low and dangerous, that his servant, alarmed for his life, secretly acquainted hismother with his illness and retreat. 

The mother, almost distracted by this intelligence, instantly, withher daughter, flew to his lodgings. She wished to have taken himimmediately to her house at Padington, but he had suffered so muchfrom his first removal, that he would not consent to another. Shewould then have called in a physician, but he refused even to seeone; and she had too long given way to all his desires and opinions, to have now the force of mind for exerting the requisite authorityof issuing her orders without consulting him. 

She begged, she pleaded, indeed, and Henrietta joined in herentreaties; but sickness and vexation had not rendered him tame, though they had made him sullen: he resisted their prayers, andcommonly silenced them by assurances that their opposition to theplan he had determined to pursue, only inflamed his fever, andretarded his recovery. 

The motive of an obduracy so cruel to his friends was the fear of adetection which he thought not merely prejudicial to his affairs, but dishonourable to his character: for, without betraying anysymptom of his distress, he had taken a general leave of hisacquaintance upon pretence of going out of town, and he could illendure to make a discovery which would at once proclaim hisdegradation and his deceit. 

Mr. Albany had accidentally broken in upon him, by mistaking hisroom for that of another sick person in the same house, to whom hisvisit had been intended; but as he knew and reverenced that oldgentleman, he did not much repine at his intrusion. 

He was not so easy when the same discovery was made by youngDelvile, who, chancing to meet his servant in the street, enquiredconcerning his master's health, and surprising from him its realstate, followed him home; where, soon certain of the change in hisaffairs by the change of his habitation, he wrote him a letter, inwhich, after apologizing for his freedom, he warmly declared thatnothing could make him so happy as being favoured with his commands, if, either through himself or his friends, he could be so fortunateas to do him any service. 

Belfield, deeply mortified at this detection of his situation, returned only a verbal answer of cold thanks, and desired he wouldnot speak of his being in town, as he was not well enough to beseen. 

This reply gave almost equal mortification to young Delvile, whocontinued, however, to call at the door with enquiries how he wenton, though he made no further attempt to see him. 

Belfield, softened at length by the kindness of this conduct, determined to admit him; and he was just come from paying his firstvisit, when he was met by Cecilia upon the stairs. 

His stay with him had been short, and he had taken no notice eitherof his change of abode, or his pretence of going into the country;he had talked to him only in general terms, and upon generalsubjects, till he arose to depart, and then he re-urged his offersof service with so much openness and warmth, that Belfield, affectedby his earnestness, promised he would soon see him again, andintimated to his delighted mother and sister, that he would franklyconsult with him upon his affairs. 

Such was the tale which, with various minuter circumstances, MissBelfield communicated to Cecilia. "My mother, " she added, "who neverquits him, knows that you are here, madam, for she heard me talkingwith somebody yesterday, and she made me tell her all that hadpassed, and that you said you would come again this morning. "

Cecilia returned many acknowledgments for this artless andunreserved communication, but could not, when it was over, forbearenquiring by what early misery she had already, though so veryyoung, spent _two years in nothing but unhappiness_?

"Because, " she answered, "when my poor father died all our familyseparated, and I left every body to go and live with my mother atPadington; and I was never a favourite with my mother--no more, indeed, was any body but my brother, for she thinks all the rest ofthe world only made for his sake. So she used to deny both herselfand me almost common necessaries, in order to save up money to makehim presents: though, if he had known how it was done, he would onlyhave been angry instead of taking them. However, I should haveregarded nothing that had but been for his benefit, for I loved hima great deal more than my own convenience; but sums that woulddistress us for months to save up, would by him be spent in a day, and then thought of no more! Nor was that all--O no! I had muchgreater uneasiness to suffer; for I was informed by one of mybrothers-in-law how ill every thing went, and that certain ruinwould come to my poor brother from the treachery of his agent; andthe thought of this was always preying upon my mind, for I did notdare tell it my mother, for fear it should put her out of humour, for, sometimes, she is not very patient; and it mattered little whatany of us said to my brother, for he was too gay and too confidentto believe his danger. "

"Well but, " said Cecilia, "I hope, now, all will go better; if yourbrother will consent to see a physician--"

"Ah, madam! that is the thing I fear he never will do, because ofbeing seen in these bad lodgings. I would kneel whole days toprevail with him, but he is unused to controul, and knows not how tosubmit to it; and he has lived so long among the great, that heforgets he was not born as high as themselves. Oh that he had neverquitted his own family! If he had not been spoilt by ambition, hehad the best heart and sweetest disposition in the world. But livingalways with his superiors, taught him to disdain his own relations, and be ashamed of us all; and yet now, in the hour of his distress--who else comes to help him?"

Cecilia then enquired if she wanted not assistance for herself andher mother, observing that they did not seem to have all theconveniencies to which they were entitled. 

"Why indeed, madam, " she replied, with an ingenuous smile, "when youfirst came here I was a little like my brother, for I was sadlyashamed to let you see how ill we lived! but now you know the worst, so I shall fret about it no more. "

"But this cannot be your usual way of life; I fear the misfortunesof Mr Belfield have spread a ruin wider than his own. "

"No indeed; he took care from the first not to involve us in hishazards, for he is very generous, madam, and very noble in all hisnotions, and could behave to us all no better about money mattersthan he has ever done. But from the moment we came to this dismalplace, and saw his distress, and that he was sunk so low who usedalways to be higher than any of us, we had a sad scene indeed! Mypoor mother, whose whole delight was to think that he lived like anobleman, and who always flattered herself that he would rise to beas great as the company he kept, was so distracted with herdisappointment, that she would not listen to reason, but immediatelydischarged both our servants, said she and I should do all the workourselves, hired this poor room for us to live in, and sent to ordera bill to be put upon her house at Padington, for she said she wouldnever return to it any more. "

"But are you, then, " cried Cecilia, "without any servant?"

"We have my brother's man, madam, and so he lights our fires, andtakes away some of our litters; and there is not much else to bedone, except sweeping the rooms, for we eat nothing but cold meatfrom the cook shops. "

"And how long is this to last?"

"Indeed I cannot tell; for the real truth is, my poor mother hasalmost lost her senses; and ever since our coming here, she has beenso miserable and so complaining, that indeed, between her and mybrother, I have almost lost mine too! For when she found all herhopes at an end, and that her darling son, instead of being rich andpowerful, and surrounded by friends and admirers, all trying whoshould do the most for him, was shut up by himself in this poorlittle lodging, and instead of gaining more, had spent all he wasworth at first, with not a creature to come near him, though ill, though confined, though keeping his bed!--Oh madam, had you seen mypoor mother when she first cast her eyes upon him in thatcondition!--indeed you could never have forgotten it!"

"I wonder not at her disappointment, " cried Cecilia; "withexpectations so sanguine, and a son of so much merit, it might wellindeed be bitter. "

"Yes, and besides the disappointment, she is now continuallyreproaching herself for always complying with his humours, andassisting him to appear better than the rest of his family, thoughmy father never approved her doing so. But she thought herself sosure of his rising, that she believed we should all thank her for itin the end. And she always used to say that he was born to be agentleman, and what a grievous thing it would be to have him made atradesman. "

"I hope, at least, she has not the additional misery of seeing himungrateful for her fondness, however injudicious it may have been?"

"O no! he does nothing but comfort and cheer her! and indeed it isvery good of him, for he has owned to me in private, that but forher encouragement, he could not have run the course he has run, forhe should have been obliged to enter into business, whether he hadliked it or not. But my poor mother knows this, though he will nottell it her, and therefore she says that unless he gets well, shewill punish herself all the rest of her life, and never go back toher house, and never hire another servant, and never eat any thingbut bread, nor drink any thing but water!"

"Poor unhappy woman!" cried Cecilia, "how dearly does she pay forher imprudent and short-sighted indulgence! but surely you are notalso to suffer in the same manner?"

"No, madam, not by her fault, for she wants me to go and live withone of my sisters: but I would not quit her for the world; I shouldthink myself wicked indeed to leave her now. Besides, I don't at allrepine at the little hardships I go through at present, because mypoor brother is in so much distress, that all we save may be reallyturned to account; but when we lived so hardly only to procure himluxuries he had no right to, I must own I used often to think itunfair, and if I had not loved him dearly, I should not have borneit so well, perhaps, as I ought. "

Cecilia now began to think it high time to release her newacquaintance by quitting her, though she felt herself so muchinterested in her affairs, that every word she spoke gave her adesire to lengthen the conversation. She ardently wished to make hersome present, but was restrained by the fear of offending, or ofbeing again refused; she had, however, devised a private scheme forserving her more effectually than by the donation of a few guineas, and therefore, after earnestly begging to hear from her if she couldpossibly be of any use, she told her that she should not find herconfidence misplaced, and promising again to see her soon, reluctantly departed. 

CHAPTER vii

AN EXPEDIENT. 

The scheme now projected by Cecilia, was to acquaint the surgeon whohad already attended Mr. Belfield with his present situation andaddress, and to desire him to continue his visits, for the paymentof which she would herself be accountable. 

The raillery of young Delvile, however, had taught her to fear theconstructions of the world, and she therefore purposed to keep boththe surgeon and Mr Belfield ignorant to whom they were indebted. Shewas aware, indeed, that whatever might be her management, that high-spirited and unfortunate young man would be extremely hurt to findhimself thus detected and pursued; but she thought his life too wellworth preserving to let it be sacrificed to his pride, and herinternal conviction of being herself the immediate cause of itspresent danger, gave to her an anxious and restless desire to beherself the means of extricating him from it. 

Rupil, the name of the surgeon, she had already heard mentioned byMr. Arnott, and in getting into her chair, she ordered Ralph, herman, to enquire where he lived. 

"I know already where he lives, madam, " answered Ralph, "for I sawhis name over a door in Cavendish-street, Oxford-road; I tookparticular notice of it, because it was at the house where you stoodup that day on account of the mob that was waiting to see themalefactors go to Tyburn. "

This answer unravelled to Cecilia a mystery which had long perplexther; for the speeches of young Delvile when he had surprised her inthat situation were now fully explained. In seeing her come out ofthe surgeon's house, he had naturally concluded she had only enteredit to ask news of his patient, Mr. Belfield; her protestations ofmerely standing up to avoid the crowd, he had only laughed at; andhis hints at her reserve and dissimulation, were meant but toreproach her for refusing his offer of procuring her intelligence, at the very time when, to all appearance, she anxiously, thoughclandestinely, sought it for herself. 

This discovery, notwithstanding it relieved her from all suspense ofhis meaning, gave her much vexation: to be supposed to take aninterest so ardent, yet so private, in the affairs of Mr Belfield, might well authorise all suspicions of her partiality for him: andeven if any doubt had yet remained, the unlucky meeting upon thestairs at his lodgings, would not fail to dispel it, and confirm thenotion of her secret regard. She hoped, however, to have soon someopportunity of clearing up the mistake, and resolved in the meantime to be studiously cautious in avoiding all appearances thatmight strengthen it. 

No caution, however, and no apprehension, could intimidate heractive humanity from putting into immediate execution a plan inwhich she feared any delay might be fatal; and therefore the momentshe got home, she wrote the following note to the surgeon. 

 _"To------Rupil, Esq. 

 March 27, 1779_. 

"A friend of Mr Belfield begs Mr Rupil will immediately call uponthat gentleman, who is in lodgings about the middle of Swallow-street, and insist upon visiting him till he is perfectly recovered. Mr Rupil is entreated not to make known this request, nor to receivefrom Mr Belfield any return for his attendance; but to attribute thediscovery of his residence to accident, and to rest assured he shallbe amply recompensed for his time and trouble by the friend whomakes this application, and who is willing to give any security thatMr Rupil shall think proper to mention, for the performance of thisengagement. "

Her next difficulty was in what manner to have this note conveyed;to send her own servant was inevitably betraying herself, to employany other was risking a confidence that might be still moredangerous, and she could not trust to the penny-post, as herproposal required an answer. After much deliberation, she at lengthdetermined to have recourse to Mrs Hill, to whose services she wasentitled, and upon whose fidelity she could rely. 

The morning was already far advanced, but the Harrels dined late, and she would not lose a day where even an hour might be ofimportance. She went therefore immediately to Mrs. Hill, whom shefound already removed into her new habitation in Fetter-lane, andequally busy and happy in the change of scene and of employment. Shegave to her the note, which she desired her to carry to Cavendish-street directly, and either to deliver it into Mr. Rupil's ownhands, or to bring it back if he was out; but upon no considerationto make known whence or from whom it came. 

She then went into the back part of the shop, which by Mrs. Robertswas called the parlour, and amused herself during the absence of hermessenger, by playing with the children. 

Mrs. Hill at her return said she had found Mr. Rupil at home, and asshe refused to give the letter to the servant, she had been takeninto a room where he was talking with a gentleman, to whom, as soonas he had read it, he said with a laugh, "Why here's another personwith the same proposal as yours! however, I shall treat you bothalike. " And then he wrote an answer, which he sealed up, and bid hertake care of. This answer was as follows:

"Mr. Rupil will certainly attend Mr. Belfield, whose friends may besatisfied he will do all in his power to recover him, withoutreceiving any recompense but the pleasure of serving a gentleman whois so much beloved. "

Cecilia, charmed at this unhoped for success, was making furtherenquiries into what had passed, when Mrs Hill, in a low voice, said, "There's the gentleman, madam, who was with Mr. Rupil when I gavehim the letter. I had a notion he was dodging me all the way I came, for I saw him just behind me, turn which way I would. "

Cecilia then looked--and perceived young Delvile! who, afterstopping a moment at the door, came into the shop, and desired to beshewn some gloves, which, among other things, were laid in thewindow. 

Extremely disconcerted at the sight of him, she began now almost tofancy there was some fatality attending her acquaintance with him, since she was always sure of meeting, when she had any reason towish avoiding him. 

As soon as he saw he was observed by her, he bowed with the utmostrespect: she coloured in returning the salutation, and prepared, with no little vexation, for another attack, and further [raillery], similar to what she had already received from him: but, as soon ashe had made his purchase, he bowed to her again, and, withoutspeaking, left the shop. 

A silence so unexpected at once astonished and disturbed her; sheagain desired to hear all that had passed at Mr. Rupil's, and fromthe relation gathered that Delvile had himself undertaken to beresponsible for his attendance upon Mr. Belfield. 

A liberality so like her own failed not to impress her with the mostlively esteem: but this served rather to augment than lessen thepain with which she considered the clandestine appearance she thusrepeatedly made to him. She had no doubt he had immediatelyconcluded she was author of the application to the surgeon, and thathe followed her messenger merely to ascertain the fact; while hissilence when he had made the discovery, she could only attribute tohis now believing that her regard for Mr Belfield was too seriousfor raillery. 

Doubly, however, she rejoiced at the generosity of Mr Rupil, as itrendered wholly unnecessary her further interference: for she nowsaw with some alarm the danger to which benevolence itself, directedtowards a youthful object, might expose her. 

CHAPTER viii

A REMONSTRANCE. 

Cecilia returned home so late, that she was summoned to the diningparlour the moment she entered the house. Her morning dress, and herlong absence, excited much curiosity in Mrs Harrel, which a quicksuccession of questions evasively answered soon made general; andSir Robert Floyer, turning to her with a look of surprise, said, "Ifyou have such freaks as these, Miss Beverley, I must begin toenquire a little more into your proceedings. "

"That, Sir, " said Cecilia, very coldly, "would ill repay yourtrouble. "

"When we get her to Violet Bank, " cried Mr Harrel, "we shall be ableto keep a better watch over her. "

"I hope so, " answered Sir Robert; "though faith she has been sodemure, that I never supposed she did any thing but read sermons. However, I find there's no going upon trust with women, any morethan with money. "

"Ay, Sir Robert, " cried Mrs Harrel, "you know I always advised younot to be quite so easy, and I am sure I really think you deserve alittle severity, for not being more afraid. "

"Afraid of what, madam?" cried the baronet; "of a young lady'swalking out without me? Do you think I wish to be any restraint uponMiss Beverley's time in a morning, while I have the happiness ofwaiting upon her every afternoon?"

Cecilia was thunderstruck by this speech, which not only expressedan open avowal of his pretensions, but a confident security of hissuccess. She was shocked that a man of such principles should evenfor a moment presume upon her favour, and irritated at thestubbornness of Mr. Harrel in not acquainting him with her refusal. 

His intimation of coming to the house for _the happiness ofwaiting upon her_, made her determine, without losing a moment, to seek herself an explanation with him: while the discovery that hewas included in the Easter party, which various other concomitantcauses had already rendered disagreeable to her, made her lookforward to that purposed expedition with nothing but unwillingnessand distaste. 

But though her earnestness to conclude this affair made her now putherself voluntarily in the way of the baronet, she found her planalways counteracted by Mr. Harrel, who, with an officiousness tooobvious to pass for chance, constantly stopt the progress of anydiscourse in which he did not himself bear a part. A more passionateadmirer might not have been so easily defeated; but Sir Robert, tooproud for solicitation, and too indolent for assiduity, was verysoon checked, because very soon wearied. 

The whole evening, therefore, to her infinite mortification, passedaway without affording her any opportunity of making known to himhis mistake. 

Her next effort was to remonstrate with Mr. Harrel himself; but thisscheme was not more easy of execution than the other, since Mr. Harrel, suspecting she meant again to dun him for her money, avoidedall separate conversation with her so skilfully, that she could notfind a moment to make him hear her. 

She then resolved to apply to his lady; but here her success was notbetter: Mrs. Harrel, dreading another lecture upon economy, peevishly answered to her request of a conference, that she was notvery well, and could not talk gravely. 

Cecilia, justly offended with them all, had now no resource but inMr. Monckton, whose counsel for effectually dismissing the baronet, she determined to solicit by the first opportunity. 

The moment, therefore, that she next saw him, she acquainted himwith the speeches of Sir Robert and the behaviour of Mr. Harrel. 

There needed no rhetoric to point out to Mr. Monckton the danger ofsuffering such expectations, or the impropriety of her presentsituation: he was struck with both in a manner the most forcible, and spared not for warmth of expression to alarm her delicacy, oradd to her displeasure. But chiefly he was exasperated against Mr. Harrel, assuring her there could be no doubt but that he had someparticular interest in so strenuously and artfully supporting thepretensions of Sir Robert. Cecilia endeavoured to refute thisopinion, which she regarded as proceeding rather from prejudice thanjustice; but when she mentioned that the baronet was invited tospent the Easter holidays at Violet-Bank, he represented with suchenergy the consequent constructions of the world, as well as theunavoidable encouragement such intimacy would imply, that heterrified her into an earnest entreaty to suggest to her some way ofdeliverance. 

"There is only one;" answered he, "you must peremptorily refuse togo to Violet Bank yourself. If, after what has passed, you areincluded in the same party with Sir Robert, you give a sanctionyourself to the reports already circulated of your engagements withI and the effect of such a sanction will be more serious than youcan easily imagine, since the knowledge that a connection isbelieved in the world, frequently, if not generally, leads byimperceptible degrees to its real ratification. "

Cecilia, with the utmost alacrity, promised implicitly to follow hisadvice, whatever might be the opposition of Mr Harrel. He quittedher, therefore, with unusual satisfaction, happy in his power overher mind, and anticipating with secret rapture the felicity he hadin reserve from visiting her during the absence of the family. 

As no private interview was necessary for making known her intentionof giving up the Easter party, which was to take place in two days'time, she mentioned next morning her design of spending the holidaysin town, when Mr Harrel sauntered into the breakfast room to givesome commission to his lady. 

At first he only laughed at her plan, gaily rallying her upon herlove of solitude; but when he found it was serious, he very warmlyopposed it, and called upon Mrs Harrel to join in hisexpostulations. That lady complied, but in so faint a manner, thatCecilia soon saw she did not wish to prevail; and with a concern, that cost her infinite pain, now finally perceived that not only allher former affection was subsided into indifference, but that, sinceshe had endeavoured to abridge her amusements, she regarded her as aspy, and dreaded her as the censor of her conduct. 

Mean while Mr Arnott, who was present, though he interfered not inthe debate, waited the event with anxiety; naturally hoping herobjections arose from her dislike of Sir Robert, and secretlyresolving to be guided himself by her motions. Cecilia at length, tired of the importunities of Mr Harrel, gravely said, that if hedesired to hear the reasons which obliged her to refuse his request, she was ready to communicate them. 

Mr Harrel, after a little hesitation, accompanied her into anotherroom. 

She then declared her resolution not to live under the same roofwith Sir Robert, and very openly expressed her vexation anddispleasure, that he so evidently persisted in giving that gentlemanencouragement. 

"My dear Miss Beverley, " answered he, carelessly, "when young ladieswill not know their own minds, it is necessary some friend shouldtell it them: you were certainly very favourable to Sir Robert but ashort time ago, and so, I dare say, you will be again, when you haveseen more of him. "

"You amaze me, Sir!" cried Cecilia: "when was I favourable to him?Has he not always and regularly been my aversion?"

"I fancy, " answered Mr Harrel, laughing, "you will not easilypersuade him to think so; your behaviour at the Opera-house was illcalculated to give him that notion. "

"My behaviour at the Opera-house, Sir, I have already explained toyou; and if Sir Robert himself has any doubts, either from thatcircumstance or from any other, pardon me if I say they can only beattributed to your unwillingness to remove them. I entreat you, therefore, to trifle with him no longer, nor to subject me again tothe freedom of implications extremely disagreeable to me. "

"O fie, fie, Miss Beverley! after all that has passed, after hislong expectations, and his constant attendance, you cannot for amoment think seriously of discarding him. "

Cecilia, equally surprised and provoked by this speech, could notfor a moment tell how to answer it; and Mr Harrel, wilfullymisinterpreting her silence, took her hand, and said, "Come, I amsure you have too much, honour to make a fool of such a man as SirRobert Floyer. There is not a woman in town who will not envy yourchoice, and I assure you there is not a man in England I would sosoon recommend to you. "

He would then have hurried her back to the next room; but, drawingaway her hand with undisguised resentment, "No, Sir, " she cried, "this must not pass! my positive rejection of Sir Robert the instantyou communicated to me his proposals, you can neither have forgottennor mistaken: and you must not wonder if I acknowledge myselfextremely disobliged by your unaccountable perseverance in refusingto receive my answer. "

"Young ladies who have been brought up in the country, " returned MrHarrel, with his usual negligence, "are always so high flown intheir notions, it is difficult to deal with them; but as I am muchbetter acquainted with the world than you can be, you must give meleave to tell you, that if, after all, you refuse Sir Robert, itwill be using him very ill. "

"Why will you say so, Sir?" cried Cecilia, "when it is utterlyimpossible you can have formed so preposterous an opinion. Pray hearme, however, finally, and pray tell Sir Robert--"

"No, no, " interrupted he, with affected gaiety, "you shall manage itall your own way; I will have nothing to do with the quarrels oflovers. "

And then, with a pretended laugh, he hastily left her. 

Cecilia was so much incensed by this impracticable behaviour, thatinstead of returning to the family, she went directly to her ownroom. It was easy for her to see that Mr Harrel was bent upon usingevery method he could devise, to entangle her into some engagementwith Sir Robert, and though she could not imagine the meaning ofsuch a scheme, the littleness of his behaviour excited her contempt, and the long-continued error of the baronet gave her the utmostuneasiness. She again determined to seek an explanation with himherself, and immovably to refuse joining the party to Violet Bank. 

The following day, while the ladies and Mr Arnott were at breakfast, Mr Harrel came into the room to enquire if they should all be readyto set off for his villa by ten o'clock the next day. Mrs Harrel andher brother answered in the affirmative; but Cecilia was silent, andhe turned to her and repeated his question. 

"Do you think me so capricious, Sir, " said she, "that after tellingyou but yesterday I could not be of your party, I shall tell you to-day that I can?"

"Why you do not really mean to remain in town by yourself?" repliedhe, "you cannot suppose that will be an eligible plan for a younglady. On the contrary, it will be so very improper, that I thinkmyself, as your Guardian, obliged to oppose it. "

Amazed at this authoritative speech, Cecilia looked at him with amixture of mortification and anger; but knowing it would be vain toresist his power if he was resolute to exert it, she made not anyanswer. 

"Besides, " he continued, "I have a plan for some alterations in thehouse during my absence; and I think your room, in particular, willbe much improved by them: but it will be impossible to employ anyworkmen, if we do not all quit the premises. "

This determined persecution now seriously alarmed her; she saw thatMr Harrel would omit no expedient or stratagem to encourage theaddresses of Sir Robert, and force her into his presence; and shebegan next to apprehend that her connivance in his conduct might bepresumed upon by that gentleman: she resolved, therefore, as thelast and only effort in her power for avoiding him, to endeavour tofind an accommodation at the house of Mrs Delvile, during theexcursion to Violet Bank: and if, when she returned to Portman-square, the baronet still persevered in his attendance, to entreather friend Mr Monckton would take upon himself the charge ofundeceiving him. 

CHAPTER ix

A VICTORY. 

As not a moment was now to be lost, Cecilia had no sooner suggestedthis scheme, than she hastened to St James's-Square, to try itspracticability. 

She found Mrs Delvile alone, and still at breakfast. 

After the first compliments were over, while she was considering inwhat manner to introduce her proposal, Mrs Delvile herself led tothe subject, by saying, "I am very sorry to hear we are so soon tolose you; but I hope Mr Harrel does not intend to make any long stayat his villa; for if he does, I shall be half tempted to come andrun away with you from him. "

"And that, " said Cecilia, delighted with this opening, "would be anhonour I am _more_ than half tempted to desire. "

"Why indeed your leaving London at this time, " continued MrsDelvile, "is, for me, particularly unfortunate, as, if I could nowbe favoured with your visits, I should doubly value them; for MrDelvile is gone to spend the holidays at the Duke of Derwent's, whither I was not well enough to accompany him; my son has his ownengagements, and there are so few people I can bear to see, that Ishall live almost entirely alone. "

"If I, " cried Cecilia, "in such a situation might hope to beadmitted, how gladly for that happiness would I exchange myexpedition to Violet Bank!"

"You are very good, and very amiable, " said Mrs Devile, "and yoursociety would, indeed, give me infinite satisfaction. Yet I am noenemy to solitude; on the contrary, company is commonly burthensometo me; I find few who have any power to give me entertainment, andeven of those few, the chief part have in their manners, situation, or characters, an unfortunate something, that generally renders anear connection with them inconvenient or disagreeable. There are, indeed, so many drawbacks to regard and intimacy, from pride, frompropriety, and various other collateral causes, that rarely as wemeet with people of brilliant parts, there is almost ever someobjection to our desire of meeting them again. Yet to live whollyalone is chearless and depressing; and with you, at least, " takingCecilia's hand, "I find not one single obstacle to oppose to athousand inducements, which invite me to form a friendship that Ican only hope may be as lasting, as I am sure it will be pleasant. "

Cecilia expressed her sense of this partiality in the warmest terms;and Mrs Delvile, soon discovering by her manner that she took notany delight in her intended visit to Violet Bank, began next toquestion her whether it would be possible for her to give it up. 

She instantly answered in the affirmative. 

"And would you really be so obliging, " cried Mrs Delvile, with somesurprise, "as to bestow upon me the time you had destined for thisgay excursion?"

"Most willingly, " answered Cecilia, "if you are so good as to wishit. "

"But can you also--for you must by no means remain alone in PortmanSquare--manage to live entirely in my house till Mr Barrel'sreturn?"

To this proposal, which was what she most desired, Cecilia gave aglad assent; and Mrs Delvile, extremely pleased with her compliance, promised to have an apartment prepared for her immediately. 

She then hastened home, to announce her new plan. 

This she took occasion to do when the family was assembled atdinner. The surprize with which she was heard was very general: SirRobert seemed at a loss what conclusion to draw from herinformation; Mr Arnott was half elated with pleasure, and halfdepressed with apprehension; Mrs Harrel wondered, without any othersensation; and Mr Harrel himself was evidently the most concerned ofthe party. 

Every effort of persuasion and importunity he now essayed to prevailupon her to give up this scheme, and still accompany them to thevilla; but she coolly answered that her engagement with Mrs Delvilewas decided, and she had appointed to wait upon her the nextmorning. 

When her resolution was found so steady, a general ill humour tookplace of surprise: Sir Robert now had the air of a man who thoughthimself affronted; Mr Arnott was wretched from a thousanduncertainties; Mrs Harrel, indeed, was still the most indifferent;but Mr Harrel could hardly repress his disappointment and anger. 

Cecilia, however, was all gaiety and pleasure: in removing only fromthe house of one guardian to another, she knew she could not beopposed; and the flattering readiness with which Mrs Delvile hadanticipated her request, without enquiring into her motives, hadrelieved her from a situation which now grew extremely distressing, without giving to her the pain of making complaints of Mr Harrel. The absence of Mr Delvile contributed to her happiness, and she muchrejoiced in having now the prospect of a speedy opportunity toexplain to his son, whatever had appeared mysterious in her conductrespecting Mr Belfield. If she had any thing to regret, it wasmerely the impossibility, at this time, of waiting for the counselof Mr Monckton. 

The next morning, while the family was in the midst of preparationfor departure, she took leave of Mrs Harrel, who faintly lamentedthe loss of her company, and then hastily made her compliments to MrHarrel and Mr Arnott, and putting herself into a chair, was conveyedto her new habitation. 

Mrs Delvile received her with the most distinguished politeness; sheconducted her to the apartment which had been prepared for her, ledher to the library, which she desired her to make use of as her own, and gave her the most obliging charges to remember that she was in ahouse of which she had the command. 

Young Delvile did not make his appearance till dinner time. Cecilia, from recollecting the strange situations in which she had latelybeen seen by him, blushed extremely when she first met his eyes; butfinding him gay and easy, general in his conversation, andundesigning in his looks, she soon recovered from her embarrassment, and passed the rest of the day without restraint or uneasiness. 

Every hour she spent with Mrs Delvile, contributed to raise in heresteem the mind and understanding of that lady. She found, indeed, that it was not for nothing she was accused of pride, but she foundat the same time so many excellent qualities, so much true dignityof mind, and so noble a spirit of liberality, that however great wasthe respect she seemed to demand, it was always inferior to what shefelt inclined to pay. 

Nor was young Delvile less rapid in the progress he made in herfavour; his character, upon every opportunity of shewing it, rose inher opinion, and his disposition and manners had a mingled sweetnessand vivacity that rendered his society attractive, and hisconversation spirited. 

Here, therefore, Cecilia experienced that happiness she so long hadcoveted in vain: her life was neither public nor private, heramusements were neither dissipated nor retired; the company she sawwere either people of high rank or strong parts, and their visitswere neither frequent nor long. The situation she quitted gave azest to that into which she entered, for she was now no longershocked by extravagance or levity, no longer tormented withaddresses which disgusted her, nor mortified by the ingratitude ofthe friend she had endeavoured to serve. All was smooth and serene, yet lively and interesting. 

Her plan, however, of clearing to young Delvile his mistakesconcerning Belfield, she could not put in execution; for he nownever led to the subject, though he was frequently alone with her, nor seemed at all desirous to renew his former raillery, or repeathis enquiries. She wondered at this change in him, but chose ratherto wait the revival of his own curiosity, than to distress orperplex herself by contriving methods of explanation. 

Situated thus happily, she had now one only anxiety, which was toknow whether, and in what manner, Mr Belfield had received hissurgeon, as well as the actual state of his own and his sister'saffairs: but the fear of again encountering young Delvile insuspicious circumstances, deterred her at present from going totheir house. Yet her natural benevolence, which partial conveniencenever lulled to sleep, impressing her with an apprehension that herservices might be wanted, she was induced to write to Miss Belfield, though she forbore to visit her. 

Her letter was short, but kind and to the purpose: she apologizedfor her officiousness, desiring to know if her brother was better, and entreated her, in terms the most delicate, to acquaint her ifyet she would accept from her any assistance. 

She sent this letter by her servant, who, after waiting aconsiderable time, brought her the following answer. 

_To Miss Beverley_. 

Ah madam! your goodness quite melts me! we want nothing, however, yet, though I fear we shall not say so much longer. But though Ihope I shall never forget myself so as to be proud and impertinent, I will rather struggle with any hardship than beg, for I will notdisoblige my poor brother by any fault that I can help, especiallynow he is fallen so low. But, thank heaven, his wound has at lastbeen dressed, for the surgeon has found him out, and he attends himfor nothing; though my brother is willing to part with every thinghe is worth in the world, rather than owe that obligation to him:yet I often wonder why he hates so to be obliged, for when he wasrich himself he was always doing something to oblige other people. But I fear the surgeon thinks him very bad! for he won't speak to uswhen we follow him down stairs. 

I am sadly ashamed to send this bad writing, but I dare not ask mybrother for any help, because he would only be angry that I wroteany thing about him at all; but indeed I have seen too little goodcome of pride to think of imitating it; and as I have not hisgenius, I am sure there is no need I should have his defects: ill, therefore, as I write, you, madam, who have so much goodness andgentleness, would forgive it, I believe, if it was worse, almost. And though we are not in need of your kind offers, it is a greatcomfort to me to think there is a lady in the world that, if we cometo be quite destitute, and if the proud heart of my poor unhappybrother should be quite broke down, will look upon our distress withpity, and generously help us from quite sinking under it. --I remain, Madam, with the most humble respect, your ever most obliged humbleservant, HENRIETTA BELFIELD. 

Cecilia, much moved by the simplicity of this letter, determinedthat her very first visit from Portman-square should be to its fairand innocent writer. And having now an assurance that she was in noimmediate distress, and that her brother was actually under MrRupil's care, she dismissed from her mind the only subject ofuneasiness that at present had endeavoured to disturb it, and gaveherself wholly up to the delightful serenity of [unalloyed]happiness. 

Few are the days of felicity unmixed which we acknowledge while weexperience, though many are those we deplore, when by sorrow taughttheir value, and by misfortune, their loss. Time with Cecilia nowglided on with such rapidity, that before she thought the morninghalf over, the evening was closed, and ere she was sensible thefirst week was past, the second was departed for ever. More and morepleased with the inmates of her new habitation, she found in theabilities of Mrs Delvile sources inexhaustible of entertainment, and, in the disposition and sentiments of her son something soconcordant to her own, that almost every word he spoke shewed thesympathy of their minds, and almost every look which caught her eyeswas a reciprocation of intelligence. Her heart, deeply wounded oflate by unexpected indifference, and unreserved mortification, wasnow, perhaps, more than usually susceptible of those penetrating andexquisite pleasures which friendship and kindness possess thehighest powers of bestowing. Easy, gay, and airy, she only rose tohappiness, and only retired to rest; and not merely heightened washer present enjoyment by her past disappointment, but, carrying herretrospection to her earliest remembrance, she still found heractual situation more peculiarly adapted to her taste and temper, than any she had hitherto at any time experienced. 

The very morning that the destined fortnight was elapsed, shereceived a note from Mrs Harrel, with information of her arrival intown, and an entreaty that she would return to Portman-square. 

Cecilia, who, thus happy, had forgot to mark the progress of time, was now all amazement to find the term of her absence so soon past. She thought of going back with the utmost reluctance, and ofquitting her new abode with the most lively regret. Therepresentations of Mr Monckton daily lost their force, andnotwithstanding her dislike of Mr Delvile, she had no wish soearnest as that of being settled in his family for the rest of herminority. 

To effect this was her next thought; yet she knew not how to makethe proposal, but from the uncommon partiality of Mrs Delvile, shehoped, with a very little encouragement, she would lead to itherself. 

Here, however, she was disappointed; Mrs Delvile, when she heard ofthe summons from the Harrels, expressed her sorrow at losing her interms of the most flattering regret, yet seemed to think the partingindispensable, and dropt not the most distant hint of attempting toprevent it. 

Cecilia, vexed and disconcerted, then made arrangements for herdeparture, which she fixed for the next morning. 

The rest of this day, unlike every other which for the lastfortnight had preceded it, was passed with little appearance, and noreality of satisfaction: Mrs Delvile was evidently concerned, herson openly avowed his chagrin, and Cecilia felt the utmostmortification; yet, though every one was discontented, no effort wasmade towards obtaining any delay. 

The next morning during breakfast, Mrs Delvile very elegantlythanked her for granting to her so much of her time, and earnestlybegged to see her in future whenever she could be spared from herother friends; protesting she was now so accustomed to her society, that she should require both long and frequent visits to soften theseparation. This request was very eagerly seconded by young Delvile, who warmly spoke his satisfaction that his mother had found socharming a friend, and unaffectedly joined in her entreaties thatthe intimacy might be still more closely cemented. 

Cecilia had no great difficulty in according her compliance to thosedemands, of which the kindness and cordiality somewhat lessened herdisturbance at the parting. 

When Mrs Harrel's carriage arrived, Mrs Delvile took a mostaffectionate leave of her, and her son attended her to the coach. 

In her way down stairs, he stopt her for a few moments, and in someconfusion said "I wish much to apologize to Miss Beverley, beforeher departure, for the very gross mistake of which I have beenguilty. I know not if it is possible she can pardon me, and I hardlyknow myself by what perversity and blindness I persisted so long inmy error. "

"O, " cried Cecilia, much rejoiced at this voluntary explanation, "ifyou are but convinced you were really in an error, I have nothingmore to wish. Appearances, indeed, were so strangely against me, that I ought not, perhaps, to wonder they deceived you. "

"This is being candid indeed, " answered he, again leading her on:"and in truth, though your anxiety was obvious, its cause wasobscure, and where any thing is left to conjecture, opinioninterferes, and the judgment is easily warped. My own partiality, however, for Mr Belfield, will I hope plead my excuse, as from that, and not from any prejudice against the Baronet, my mistake arose: onthe contrary, so highly I respect your taste and your discernment, that your approbation, when known, can scarcely fail of securingmine. "

Great as was the astonishment of Cecilia at the conclusion of thisspeech; she was at the coach door before she could make any answer:but Delvile, perceiving her surprise, added, while he handed her in, "Is it possible--but no, it is _not_ possible I should be againmistaken. I forbore to speak at all, till I had information by whichI could not be misled. "

"I know not in what unaccountable obscurity, " cried Cecilia, "I, ormy affairs, may be involved, but I perceive that the cloud which Ihad hoped was dissipated, is thicker and more impenetrable thanever. "

Delvile then bowed to her with a look that accused her ofinsincerity, and the carriage drove away. 

Teazed by these eternal mistakes, and provoked to find that thoughthe object of her supposed partiality was so frequently changed, thenotion of her positive engagement with one of the duelists wasinvariable, she resolved with all the speed in her power, tocommission Mr Monckton to wait upon Sir Robert Floyer, and in herown name give a formal rejection to his proposals, and desire himthenceforward to make known, by every opportunity, their totalindependence of each other: for sick of debating with Mr Harrel, anddetesting all intercourse with Sir Robert, she now dropt her designof seeking an explanation herself. 

She was received by Mrs Harrel with the same coldness with which shehad parted from her. That lady appeared now to have some uneasinessupon her mind, and Cecilia endeavoured to draw from her its cause;but far from seeking any alleviation in friendship, she studiouslyavoided her, seeming pained by her conversation, and reproached byher sight. Cecilia perceived this encreasing reserve with muchconcern, but with more indignation, conscious that her good officeshad merited a better reception, and angry to find that her advicehad not merely failed of success, but even exposed her to aversion. 

Mr Harrel, on the contrary, behaved to her with unusual civility, seemed eager to oblige her, and desirous to render his house moreagreeable to her than ever. But in this he did not prosper; forCecilia, immediately upon her return, looking in her apartment forthe projected alterations, and finding none had been made, was sodisgusted by such a detection of duplicity, that he sunk yet lowerthan before in her opinion, and she repined at the necessity she wasunder of any longer continuing his guest. 

The joy of Mr Arnott at again seeing her, was visible and sincere;and not a little was it encreased by finding that Cecilia, whosought not more to avoid Mr Harrel and Sir Robert, than she washerself avoided by Mrs Harrel, talked with pleasure to nobody elsein the house, and scarcely attempted to conceal that he was the onlyone of the family who possessed any portion of her esteem. 

Even Sir Robert appeared now to have formed a design of paying herrather more respect than he had hitherto thought necessary; but theviolence he did himself was so evident, and his imperious natureseemed so repugnant to the task, that his insolence, breaking forthby starts, and checked only by compulsion, was but the moreconspicuous from his inadequate efforts to disguise it. 

BOOK IV. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER i

A COMPLAINT. 

As Cecilia now found herself cleared, at least, of all suspicions ofharbouring too tender a regard for Mr Belfield, her objections tovisiting his sister were removed, and the morning after her returnto Mr Harrel's, she went in a chair to Swallow-street. 

She sent her servant up stairs to enquire if she might be admitted, and was immediately taken into the room where she had twice beforebeen received. 

In a few minutes Miss Belfield, softly opening and shutting the doorof the next apartment, made her appearance. She looked thin andpale, but much gratified by the sight of Cecilia. "Ah madam!" shecried, "you are good indeed not to forget us! and you can littlethink how it cheers and consoles me, that such a lady as you cancondescend to be kind to me. It is quite the only pleasure that Ihave now in the whole world. "

"I grieve that you have no greater;" cried Cecilia, "you seem muchfatigued and harassed. How is your brother? I fear you neglect yourown health, by too much attention to his. "

"No, indeed, madam; my mother does everything for him herself, andhardly suffers anybody else to go near him. "

"What, then, makes you so melancholy?" said Cecilia, taking herhand; "you do not look well; your anxiety, I am sure, is too muchfor your strength. "

"How should I look well, madam, " answered she, "living as I live?However, I will not talk of myself, but of my brother, --O he is soill! Indeed I am sadly, sadly afraid he will never be well again!"

"What does his surgeon say? You are too tender, and too muchfrightened to be any judge. "

"It is not that I think myself he will die of his wound, for MrRupil says the wound is almost nothing; but he is in a constantfever, and so thin, and so weak, that indeed it is almost impossiblehe should recover!"

"You are too apprehensive, " said Cecilia, "you know not what effectthe country air may have upon him; there are many, many expedientsthat with so young a man may yet be successful. "

"O no, the country air can do nothing for him! for I will notdeceive you, madam, for that would be doubly a fault when I am soready in blaming other people for wearing false appearances:besides, you are so good and so gentle, that it quite composes me totalk with you. So I will honestly speak the truth, and the wholetruth at once; my poor brother is lost--O I fear for ever lost!--allby his own unhappy pride! He forgets his father was a tradesman, heis ashamed of all his family, and his whole desire is to live amongthe grandest people, as if he belonged to no other. And now that hecan no longer do that, he takes the disappointment so to heart thathe cannot get the better of it; and he told me this morning that hewished he was dead, for he did not know why he should live only tosee his own ruin! But when he saw how I cried at his saying so, hewas very sorry indeed, for he has always been the kindest brother inthe world, when he has been away from the great folks who havespoilt him: 'But why, ' said he, 'Henrietta, why would you have melive, when instead of raising you and my poor mother into an higherstation, I am sunk so low, that I only help to consume your own poorpittances to support me in my disgrace!'"

"I am sorry indeed, " said Cecilia, "to find he has so deep a senseof the failure of his expectations: but how happens it that you areso much wiser? Young and inexperienced as you are, and early as youmust have been accustomed, from your mother as well as from MrBelfield, to far other doctrine, the clearness of your judgment, andthe justness of your remarks, astonish as much as they charm me. "

"Ah madam! Brought up as I have been brought up, there is littlewonder I should see the danger of an high education, let me be everso ignorant of everything else; for I, and all my sisters, have beenthe sufferers the whole time: and while we were kept backward, thathe might be brought forward, while we were denied comforts, that hemight have luxuries, how could we help seeing the evil of so muchvanity, and wishing we had all been brought up according to ourproper station? instead of living in continual inconvenience, andhaving one part of a family struggling with distress, only to letanother part of it appear in a way he had no right to!"

"How rationally, " said Cecilia, "have you considered this subject!and how much do I honour you for the affection you retain for yourbrother, notwithstanding the wrongs you have suffered to promote hiselevation!"

"Indeed he deserves it; take but from him that one fault, pride, andI believe he has not another: and humoured and darling child as fromhis infancy he has always been, who at that can wonder, or beangry?"

"And he has still no plan, no scheme for his future destination?"

"No, madam, none at all; and that it is makes him so miserable, andbeing so miserable makes him so ill, for Mr Rupil says that withsuch uneasiness upon his mind, he can never, in his present lowstate, get well. O it is melancholy to see how he is altered! andhow he has lost all his fine spirits! he that used to be the life ofus all!--And now he hardly ever speaks a word, or if he does, hesays something so sorrowful that it cuts us to the soul! Butyesterday, when my mother and I thought he was asleep, he lifted uphis head, and looked at us both with the tears in his eyes, whichalmost broke our hearts to see, and then, in a low voice, he said'What a lingering illness is this! Ah, my dear mother, you and poorHenrietta ought to wish it quicker over! for should I recover, mylife, hereafter, will but linger like this illness. ' And afterwardshe called out, 'what on earth is to become of me? I shall never havehealth for the army, nor interest, nor means; what am I to do?subsist in the very prime of my life upon the bounty of a widowedmother! or, with such an education, such connections as mine, enterat last into some mean and sordid business?'"

"It seems, then, " said Cecilia, "he now less wants a physician thana friend. "

"He has a friend, madam, a noble friend, would he but accept hisservices; but he never sees him without suffering fresh vexation, and his fever encreases after every visit he pays him. "

"Well, " said Cecilia, rising, "I find we shall not have an easy taskto manage him; but keep up your spirits, and assure yourself heshall not be lost, if it be possible to save him. "

She then, though with much fearfulness of offending, once more madean offer of her purse. Miss Belfield no longer started at theproposal; yet, gratefully thanking her, said she was not in anyimmediate distress, and did not dare risk the displeasure of herbrother, unless driven to it by severer necessity. Cecilia, however, drew from her a promise that she would apply to her in any suddendifficulty, and charged her never to think herself without a bankerwhile her direction was known to her. 

She then bid her adieu, and returned home; meditating the whole wayupon some plan of employment and advantage for Mr Belfield, which byclearing his prospects, might revive his spirits, and facilitate hisrecovery: for since his mind was so evidently the seat of hisdisease, she saw that unless she could do more for him, she had yetdone nothing. 

Her meditation, however, turned to no account; she could suggestnothing, for she was ignorant what was eligible to suggest. Thestations and employments of men she only knew by occasionallyhearing that such were their professions, and such their situationsin life; but with the means and gradations by which they arose tothem she was wholly unacquainted. 

Mr Monckton, her constant resource in all cases of difficulty, immediately occurred to her as her most able counsellor, and shedetermined by the first opportunity to consult with him upon thesubject, certain of advice the most judicious from his experience, and knowledge of the world. 

But though she rested upon him her serious expectations ofassistance, another idea entered her mind not less pleasant, thoughless promising of utility: this was to mention her views to youngDelvile. He was already, she knew, well informed of the distress ofMr Belfield, and she hoped, by openly asking his opinion, to confirmto him her freedom from any engagement with that gentleman, andconvince him, at the same time, by her application to himself, thatshe was equally clear of any tie with the Baronet. 

CHAPTER ii

A SYMPATHY. 

The next day Cecilia had appointed to spend in St James'-square; andshe knew by experience that in its course, she should in allprobability find some opportunity of speaking with Delvile alone. 

This accordingly happened; for in the evening Mrs Delvile quittedthe room for a few moments to answer a letter. Cecilia then, leftwith her son, said, after a little hesitation, "Will you not thinkme very strange if I should take the liberty to consult you uponsome business?"

"I already think you very strange, " answered he; "so strange that Iknow not any one who at all resembles you. But what is thisconsultation in which you will permit me to have a voice?"

"You are acquainted, I believe, with the distress of Mr Belfield?"

"I am; and I think his situation the most melancholy that can beimagined. I pity him with my whole soul, and nothing would give megreater joy than an opportunity of serving him. "

"He is, indeed, much to be compassionated, " returned Cecilia; "andif something is not speedily done for him, I fear he will be utterlylost. The agitation of his mind baffles all the power of medicine, and till that is relieved, his health can never be restored. His, spirit, probably always too high for his rank in life, now strugglesagainst every attack of sickness and of poverty, in preference toyielding to his fate, and applying to his friends for their interestand assistance. I mean not to vindicate his obduracy, yet I wish itwere possible it could be surmounted. Indeed I dread to think whatmay become of him! feeling at present nothing but wretchedness andpain, looking forward in future to nothing but ruin and despair!"

"There is no man, " cried young Delvile, with emotion, "who might notrather envy than pity sufferings which give rise to suchcompassion!"

"Pecuniary assistance he will not accept, " she continued, "and, indeed, his mind is superior to receiving consolation from suchtemporary relief; I wish him, therefore, to be put into some way oflife by which his own talents, which have long enough amused theworld, may at length become serviceable to himself. Do you think, Sir, this is possible?"

"How do I rejoice, " cried Delvile, colouring with pleasure while hespoke, "in this flattering concurrence of our opinions! see, madam, "taking from his pocket a letter, "how I have been this very morningoccupied, in endeavouring to procure for Mr Belfield some employmentby which his education might be rendered useful, and his partsredound to his own credit and advantage. "

He then broke the seal, and put into her hand a letter to anobleman, whose son was soon going abroad, strongly recommendingBelfield to him in capacity of a tutor. 

A sympathy of sentiment so striking impressed them at the samemoment with surprise and esteem; Delvile earnestly regarded her witheyes of speaking admiration, while the occasion of his noticerendered it too pleasant to distress her, and filled her with aninward satisfaction which brightened her whole countenance. 

She had only time, in a manner that strongly marked her approbation, to return the letter, before Mrs Delvile again made her appearance. 

During the rest of the evening but little was said; Cecilia was nottalkative, and young Delvile was so absent, that three times hismother reminded him of an engagement to meet his father, who thatnight was expected at the Duke of Derwent's house in town, before heheard that she spoke to him, and three times more before, when hehad heard, he obeyed. 

Cecilia, when she came back to Mr Barrel's, found the house full ofcompany. She went into the drawing-room, but did not remain therelong: she was grave and thoughtful, she wished to be alone, and bythe earliest opportunity, stole away to her own apartment. 

Her mind was now occupied by new ideas, and her fancy was busied inthe delineation of new prospects. She had been struck from her firstmeeting young Delvile with an involuntary admiration of his mannersand conversation; she had found upon every succeeding interviewsomething further to approve, and felt for him a rising partialitywhich made her always see him with pleasure, and never part from himwithout a wish to see him again. Yet, as she was not of thatinflammable nature which is always ready to take fire, as herpassions were under the controul of her reason, and she suffered nother affections to triumph over her principles, she started at herdanger the moment she perceived it, and instantly determined to giveno weak encouragement to a prepossession which neither time norintimacy had justified. She denied herself the deluding satisfactionof dwelling upon the supposition of his worth, was unusuallyassiduous to occupy all her time, that her heart might have lessleisure for imagination; and had she found that his characterdegenerated from the promise of his appearance, the well regulatedpurity of her mind would soon have enabled her to have driven himwholly from her thoughts. 

Such was her situation when the circumstances of her affairsoccasioned her becoming an inmate of his house; and here she grewless guarded, because less clear-sighted to the danger ofnegligence, for the frequency of their conversation allowed herlittle time to consider their effects. If at first she had beenpleased with his deportment and elegance, upon intimacy she wascharmed with his disposition and his behaviour; she found him manly, generous, open-hearted and amiable, fond of literature, delightingin knowledge, kind in his temper, and spirited in his actions. 

Qualities such as these, when recommended by high birth, a strikingfigure, and polished manners, formed but a dangerous companion for ayoung woman, who, without the guard of any former prepossession, wasso fervent an admirer of excellence as Cecilia. Her heart made noresistance, for the attack was too gentle and too gradual to alarmher vigilance, and therefore, though always sensible of the pleasureshe received from his society, it was not till she returned toPortman-square, after having lived under the same roof with him fora fortnight, that she was conscious her happiness was no longer inher own power. 

Mr Harrel's house, which had never pleased her, now became utterlydisgustful; she was wearied and uncomfortable, yet, willing toattribute her uneasiness to any other than the true cause, shefancied the house itself was changed, and that all its inhabitantsand visitors were more than unusually disagreeable: but this idleerror was of short duration, the moment of self-conviction was athand, and when Delvile presented her the letter he had written forMr Belfield, it flashed in her eyes!

This detection of the altered state of her mind opened to her viewsand her hopes a scene entirely new, for neither the exertion of themost active benevolence, nor the steady course of the most virtuousconduct, sufficed any longer to wholly engage her thoughts, orconstitute her felicity; she had purposes that came nearer home, andcares that threatened to absorb in themselves that heart and thosefaculties which hitherto had only seemed animated for the service ofothers. 

Yet this loss of mental freedom gave her not much uneasiness, sincethe choice of her heart, though involuntary, was approved by herprinciples, and confirmed by her judgment. Young Delvile's situationin life was just what she wished, more elevated than her own, yetnot so exalted as to humble her with a sense of inferiority; hisconnections were honourable, his mother appeared to her the first ofwomen, his character and disposition seemed formed to make herhappy, and her own fortune was so large, that to the state of hisshe was indifferent. 

Delighted with so flattering a union of inclination with propriety, she now began to cherish the partiality she at first had repressed, and thinking the future destination of her life already settled, looked forward with grateful joy to the prospect of ending her dayswith the man she thought most worthy to be entrusted with thedisposal of her fortune. 

She had not, indeed, any certainty that the regard of young Delvilewas reciprocal, but she had every reason to believe he greatlyadmired her, and to suspect that his mistaken notion of her priorengagement, first with Mr Belfield, and afterwards with Sir RobertFloyer, made him at present check those sentiments in her favourwhich, when that error was removed, she hoped to see I encouraged. 

Her purpose, therefore, was quietly to wait an explanation, whichshe rather wished retarded than forwarded, that her leisure andopportunity might be more for investigating his character, andsaving herself from repentance. 

CHAPTER iii

A CONFLICT. 

The day following this happy intellectual arrangement, Cecilia wasvisited by Mr Monckton. That gentleman, who had enquired for herimmediately after the Harrels went to their villa, and who hadflattered himself with reaping much advantage from their absence, byfrequent meetings and confidential discourses, suffered the severestmortification when he found that her stay in town rendered her notthe less inaccessible to him, since he had no personal acquaintancewith the Delviles, and could not venture to present himself at theirhouse. 

He was now received by her with more than usual pleasure; the timehad seemed long to her since she had conversed with him, and she waseager to ask his counsel and assistance in her affairs. She relatedto him the motives which had induced her to go to St James'-square, and the incorrigible obstinacy with which Mr Harrel still continuedto encourage the addresses of Sir Robert Floyer; she earnestlyentreated him to become her agent in a business to which she wasunequal, by expostulating in her cause with Mr Harrel, and bycalling upon Sir Robert himself to insist upon his foregoing hisunauthorised pretensions. 

Mr Monckton listened eagerly to her account and request, and whenshe had finished, assured her he would deliberate upon eachcircumstance of the affair, and then maturely weigh every method hecould devise, to extricate her from an embarrassment which now grewfar too serious to be safely neglected. 

"I will not, however, " continued he, "either act or give my opinionwithout further enquiry, as I am confident there is a mystery inthis business which lies deeper than we can at present fathom. MrHarrel has doubtless purposes of his own to answer by this pretendedzeal for Sir Robert; nor is it difficult to conjecture what they maybe. Friendship, in a man of his light cast, is a mere cover, a merename, to conceal a connection which has its basis solely in thelicentious convenience of borrowing money, going to the same gaminghouse, and mutually communicating and boasting their mutual vicesand intrigues, while, all the time, their regard for each other isequally hollow with their regard for truth and integrity. "

He then cautioned her to be extremely careful with respect to anymoney transactions with Mr Harrel, whose splendid extravagance heassured her was universally known to exceed his fortune. 

The countenance of Cecilia during this exhortation was testimonysufficient to the penetrating eyes of Mr Monckton that his advicecame not too soon: a suspicion of the real state of the casespeedily occurred to him, and he questioned her minutely upon thesubject. She endeavoured to avoid making him any answer, but hisdiscernment was too keen for her inartificial evasion, and he verysoon gathered all the particulars of her transactions with MrHarrel. 

He was less alarmed at the sum she had lent him, which was ratherwithin his expectations, than at the method she had been induced totake to procure it. He represented to her in the strongest mannerthe danger of imposition, nay of ruin, from the extortions and thecraft of money-lenders; and he charged her upon no consideration tobe tempted or persuaded again to have recourse to such perilousexpedients. 

She promised the most attentive observance of his advice: and thentold him the acquaintance she had made with Miss Belfield, and hersorrow for the situation of her brother; though, satisfied for thepresent with the plan of young Delvile, she now gave up her designof soliciting his counsel. 

In the midst of this conversation, a note was delivered to her fromMr Delvile senior, acquainting her with his return to town, andbegging the favour of her to call in St James's-square the nextmorning, as he wished to speak to her upon some business ofimportance. 

The eager manner in which Cecilia accepted this invitation, and herrepeated and earnest exclamation of wonder at what Mr Delvile couldhave to say, past not unnoticed by Mr Monckton; he instantly turnedthe discourse from the Belfields, the Harrels, and the Baronet, toenquire how she had spent her time during her visit in St James's-square, and what was her opinion of the family after her lateopportunities of intimacy?

Cecilia answered that she had yet seen nothing more of Mr Delvile, who had been absent the whole time, but with equal readiness andpleasure she replied to all his questions concerning his lady, expatiating with warmth and fervour upon her many rare and estimablequalities. 

But when the same interrogatories were transferred to the son, shespoke no longer with the same ease, nor with her usual promptitudeof sincerity; she was embarrassed, her answers were short, and sheendeavoured to hasten from the subject. 

Mr Monckton remarked this change with the most apprehensivequickness, but, forcing a smile, "Have you yet, " he said, "observedthe family compact in which those people are bound to besiege you, and draw you into their snares?"

"No, indeed, " cried Cecilia, much hurt by the question, "I am sureno such compact has been formed; and I am sure, too, that if youknew them better, you would yourself be the first to admire and dothem justice. "

"My dear Miss Beverley, " cried he, "I know them already; I do not, indeed, visit them, but I am perfectly acquainted with theircharacters, which have been drawn to me by those who are mostclosely connected with them, and who have had opportunities ofinspection which I hope will never fall to your share, since I amsatisfied the trial would pain, though the proof would convinceyou. "

"What then have you heard of them?" cried Cecilia, with muchearnestness: "It is, at least, not possible any ill can be said ofMrs Delvile. "

"I beg your pardon, " returned he. "Mrs Delvile is not nearerperfection than the rest of her family, she has only more art indisguising her foibles; because, tho' she is the daughter of pride, she is the slave of interest. "

"I see you have been greatly misinformed, " said Cecilia warmly; "MrsDelvile is the noblest of women! she may, indeed, from her veryexaltation, have enemies, but they are the enemies of envy, not ofresentment, enemies raised by superior merit, not excited by injuryor provocation!"

"You will know her better hereafter;" said Mr Monckton calmly, "Ionly hope your knowledge will not be purchased by the sacrifice ofyour happiness. "

"And what knowledge of her, Sir, " cried Cecilia, starting, "can havepower to put my happiness in any danger?"

"I will tell you, " answered he, "with all the openness you have aclaim to from my regard, and then leave to time to shew if I ammistaken. The Delvile family, notwithstanding its ostentatiousmagnificence, I can solemnly assure you, is poor in every branch, alike lineal and collateral. "

"But is it therefore the less estimable?"

"Yes, because the more rapacious. And while they count on each sideDukes, Earls and Barons in their genealogy, the very wealth withwhich, through your means, they project the support of theirinsolence, and which they will grasp with all the greediness ofavarice, they will think honoured by being employed in theirservice, while the instrument, all amiable as she is, by which theyattain it, will be constantly held down as the disgrace of theiralliance. "

Cecilia, stung to the soul by this speech, rose from her chair, unwilling to answer it, yet unable to conceal how much it shockedher. Mr Monckton, perceiving her emotion, followed her, and takingher hand, said, "I would not give this warning to one I thought tooweak to profit from it; but as I am well informed of the use that ismeant to be made of your fortune, and the abuse that will follow ofyourself, I think it right to prepare you for their artifices, whichmerely to point out, may render abortive. "

Cecilia, too much disturbed to thank him, drew back her hand, andcontinued silent. Mr Monckton, reading through her displeasure thestate of her affections, saw with terror the greatness of the dangerwhich threatened him. He found, however, that the present was notime for enforcing objections, and perceiving he had already gonetoo far, though he was by no means disposed to recant, he thought itmost prudent to retreat, and let her meditate upon his exhortationwhile its impression was yet strong in her mind. 

He would now, therefore, have taken leave; but Cecilia, endeavouringto recollect herself, and fully persuaded that however he hadshocked her, he had only her interest in view, stopt him, saying, "You think me, perhaps, ungrateful, but believe me I am not; I must, however, acknowledge that your censure of Mrs Delvile hurts meextremely. Indeed I cannot doubt her worthiness, I must still, therefore, plead for her, and I hope the time may come when you willallow I have not pleaded unjustly. "

"Justly or unjustly, " answered Mr Monckton, "I am at least sure youcan never plead vainly. I give up, therefore, to your opinion myattack of Mrs Delvile, and am willing from your commendations tosuppose her the best of the race. Nay, I will even own that perhapsMr Delvile himself, as well as his lady, might pass through life andgive but little offence, had they only themselves to think of, andno son to stimulate their arrogance. "

"Is the son, then, " said Cecilia faintly, "so much the mostculpable?"

"The son, I believe, " answered he, "is at least the chief incentiveto insolence and ostentation in the; parents, since it is for hissake they covet with such avidity honours and riches, since theyplume themselves upon regarding him as the support of their nameand, family, and since their pride in him even surpasses their pridein their lineage and themselves. "

"Ah!" thought Cecilia, "and of such a son who could help beingproud!"

"Their purpose, therefore, " he continued, "is to, secure through hismeans your fortune, which they will no sooner obtain, than, to mycertain knowledge, they mean instantly, and most unmercifully, toemploy it in repairing all their dilapidated estates. "

And then he quitted the subject; and, with that guarded warmth whichaccompanied all his expressions, told her he would carefully watchfor her honour and welfare, and, repeating his promise ofendeavouring to discover the tie by which Mr Harrel seemed bound tothe Baronet, he left her--a prey himself to an anxiety yet moresevere than that with which he had filled her! He now saw all hislong cherished hopes in danger of final destruction, and suddenlycast upon the brink of a precipice, where, while he struggled toprotect them from falling, his eyes were dazzled by beholding themtotter. 

Mean while Cecilia, disturbed from the calm of soft serenity towhich she had yielded every avenue of her soul, now looked forwardwith distrust and uneasiness, even to the completion of the viewswhich but a few minutes before had comprised all her notions offelicity. The alliance which so lately had seemed whollyunexceptionable, now appeared teeming with objections, andthreatening with difficulties. The representations of Mr Moncktonhad cruelly mortified her; well acquainted with his knowledge of theworld, and wholly unsuspicious of his selfish motives, she gave tohis assertions involuntary credit, and even while she attempted tocombat them, they made upon her mind an impression scarce ever to beerased. 

Full, therefore, of doubt and inquietude, she passed the night indiscomfort and irresolution, now determining to give way to herfeelings, and now to be wholly governed by the counsel of MrMonckton. 

CHAPTER iv

AN EXPECTATION. 

In this disposition of mind Cecilia the next morning obeyed thesummons of Mr Delvile, and for the first time went to St James'-square in a humour to look for evil instead of good, and meannessinstead of nobleness. 

She was shewn into an apartment where she found Mr Delvile alone, and was received by him, as usual, with the most stately solemnity. 

When she was seated, "I have given you, Miss Beverley, " said he, "the trouble of calling, in order to discuss with you the internalstate of your affairs; a duty which, at this juncture, I hold to beincumbent upon my character. The delicacy due to your sex wouldcertainly have induced me to wait upon you myself for this purpose, but for the reasons I have already hinted to you, of fearing thepeople with whom you live might think it necessary to return myvisit. Persons of low origin are commonly in those matters the mostforward. Not, however, that I would prejudice you against them;though, for myself, it is fit I remember that a general andindiscriminate acquaintance, by levelling all ranks, does injury tothe rites of society. "

Ah! thought Cecilia, how infallible is Mr Monckton! and howinevitably, in a family of which Mr Delvile is the head, should I becruelly _held down, as the disgrace of their alliance_!

"I have applied, " continued he, "to Mrs Delvile, to know if thecommunication which I had recommended to you, and to which she hadpromised her attention, had yet passed; but I am informed you havenot spoken to her upon the subject. "

"I had nothing, Sir, to communicate, " answered Cecilia, "and I hadhoped, as Mrs Delvile made no enquiries, she was satisfied she hadnothing to hear. "

"With respect to enquiries, " said Mr Delvile, "I fear you are notsufficiently aware of the distance between a lady of Mrs Delvile'srank, both by birth and alliance, and such a young woman as MrsHarrel, whose ancestors, but a short time since, were mere Suffolkfarmers. But I beg your pardon;--I mean not any reflection uponyours: I have always heard they were very worthy people. And afarmer is certainly a very respectable person. Your father, I think, no more than the Dean your uncle, did nothing in that way himself?"

"No, Sir, " said Cecilia, drily, and much provoked by thiscontemptuous courtesy. 

"I have always been told he was a very good sort of man: I knew noneof the family myself, but the Dean. His connections with the Bishopof ------, my relation, put him often in my way. Though his namingme for one of his trustees, I must own, was rather extraordinary;but I mean not to hurt you; on the contrary, I should be muchconcerned to give you any uneasiness. "

Again Mr Monckton arose in the mind of Cecilia, and again sheacknowledged the truth of his strictures; and though she muchwondered in what an harangue so pompous was to end, her disgust sofar conquered her curiosity, that without hearing it, she wishedherself away. 

"To return, " said he, "to my purpose. The present period of yourlife is such as to render advice particularly seasonable; I amsorry, therefore, as I before said, you have not disclosed yoursituation to Mrs Delvile. A young lady on the point of making anestablishment, and with many engagements in her power, is extremelyliable to be mistaken in her judgment, and therefore should solicitinstruction from those who are able to acquaint her what connectionwould be most to her advantage. One thing, however, I am happy tocommend, the young man who was wounded in the duel--I cannotrecollect his name--is, I hear, totally out of the question. "

What next? thought Cecilia; though still she gave him nointerruption, for the haughtiness of his manner was repulsive toreply. 

"My design, therefore, is to speak to you of Sir Robert Floyer. WhenI had last the pleasure of addressing you upon this subject, you mayprobably remember my voice was in his favour; but I then regardedhim merely as the rival of an inconsiderable young man, to rescueyou from whom he appeared an eligible person. The affair is nowaltered, that young man is thought of no more, and another rivalcomes forward, to whom Sir Robert is as inconsiderable as the firstrival was to Sir Robert. "

Cecilia started at this information, livelier sensations stimulatedher curiosity, and surmises in which she was most deeply interestedquickened her attention. 

"This rival, " proceeded he, "I should imagine no young lady would amoment hesitate in electing; he is every way the superior of SirRobert except in fortune, and the deficiencies of that the splendourof your own may amply supply. "

The deepest crimson now tinged the cheeks of Cecilia; the prophecyof Mr Monckton seemed immediately fulfilling, and she trembled witha rising conflict between her approbation of the offer, and herdread of its consequences. 

"I know not, indeed, " continued he, "in what estimation you may havebeen accustomed to hold rank and connection, nor whether you areimpressed with a proper sense of their superiority and value; forearly prejudices are not easily rooted out, and those who have livedchiefly with monied people, regard even birth itself as unimportantwhen compared with wealth. "

The colour which first glowed in the cheeks of Cecilia fromexpectation, now rose yet higher from resentment: she thoughtherself already insulted by a prelude so ostentatious andhumiliating to the proposals which were to follow; and she angrilydetermined, with whatever pain to her heart, to assert her owndignity by refusing them at once, too well satisfied by what she nowsaw of the present, that Mr Monckton had been just in his predictionof the future. 

"Your rejection, therefore, " continued he, "of this honourableoffer, may perhaps have been merely the consequence of theprinciples in which you have been educated. --"

"Rejection?" interrupted Cecilia, amazed, "what rejection, Sir?"

"Have you not refused the proposals of my Lord Ernolf for his son?"

"Lord Ernolf? never! nor have I ever seen either his Lordship or hisson but in public. "

"That, " replied Mr Delvile, "is little to the purpose; where theconnexion is a proper one, a young lady of delicacy has only toaccede to it. But though this rejection came not immediately fromyourself, it had doubtless your concurrence. "

"It had not, Sir, even my knowledge. "

"Your alliance then with Sir Robert Floyer is probably nearer aconclusion than I had imagined, for otherwise Mr Harrel would not, without consulting you, have given the Earl so determinate ananswer. "

"No, Sir, " said Cecilia, impatiently, "my alliance with him wasnever more distant, nor do I mean it should ever approach morenear. "

She was now little disposed for further conversation. Her heroicdesign of refusing young Delvile by no means reconciled her to thediscovery she now made that he had not meant to address her; andthough she was provoked and fretted at this new proof that Mr Harrelscrupled neither assertions nor actions to make her engagement withSir Robert credited, her disappointment in finding that Mr Delvile, instead of pleading the cause of his son, was exerting his interestfor another person, affected her so much more nearly, thatnotwithstanding he still continued his parading harangue, shescarcely knew even the subject of his discourse, and seized thefirst opportunity of a cessation to rise and take her leave. 

He asked her if she would not call upon Mrs Delvile; but desirous tobe alone, she declined the invitation; he then charged her toproceed no further with Sir Robert till he had made some enquiriesconcerning Lord Ernolf, and graciously promising his protection andcounsel, suffered her to depart. 

Cecilia now perceived she might plan her rejections, or study herdignity at her leisure, for neither Mr Delvile nor his son seemed inany haste to put her fortitude to the proof. With regard, therefore, to their plots and intentions, Mr Monckton she found was wrong, butwith respect to their conduct and sentiments, she had every reasonto believe him right: and though her heart refused to rejoice inescaping a trial of its strength, her judgment was so well convincedthat his painting was from the life, that she determined to conquerher partiality for young Delvile, since she looked forward tonothing but mortification in a connexion with his family. 

CHAPTER v

AN AGITATION. 

With this intention, and every faculty of her mind absorbed inreflecting upon the reasons which gave rise to it, she returned toPortman-square. 

As her chair was carried into the hall, she observed, with somealarm, a look of consternation among the servants, and an appearanceof confusion in the whole house. She was proceeding to her own room, intending to enquire of her maid if any evil had happened, when shewas crossed upon the stairs by Mr Harrel, who passed her with an airso wild and perturbed, that he hardly seemed to know her. 

Frightened and amazed, she stopt short, irresolute which way to go;but, hastily returning, he beckoned her to follow him. 

She obeyed, and he led her to the library. He then shut the door, and abruptly seizing her hand, called out, "Miss Beverley, I amruined!--I am undone!--I am blasted for ever!"

"I hope not, Sir!" said Cecilia, extremely terrified, "I hope not!Where is Mrs Harrel?"

"O I know not! I know not!" cried he, in a frantic manner, "but Ihave not seen her, --I cannot see her, --I hope I shall never see hermore!--"

"O fie! fie!" said Cecilia, "let me call her, I beg; you shouldconsult with her in this distress, and seek comfort from heraffection. "

"From her affection?" repeated he, fiercely, "from her hatred youmean! do you not know that she, too, is ruined? Oh past redemptionruined!--and yet that I should hesitate, that I should a momenthesitate to conclude the whole business at once!"

"How dreadful!" cried Cecilia, "what horrible thing has happened?"

"I have undone Priscilla!" cried he, "I have blasted my credit! Ihave destroyed--no, not yet quite destroyed myself!"

"O yet nor ever!" cried Cecilia, whose agitation now almost equalledhis own, "be not so desperate, I conjure you! speak to me moreintelligibly, --what does all this mean? How has it come to pass?"

"My debts!--my creditors!--one way only, " striking his hand upon hisforehead, "is left for me!"

"Do not say so, Sir!" said Cecilia, "you shall find many ways; prayhave courage! pray speak calmly; and if you will but be moreprudent, will but, in future, better regulate your affairs, I willmyself undertake--"

She stopt; checked in the full career of her overflowing compassion, by a sense of the worthlessness of its object; and by theremembrance of the injunctions of Mr Monckton. 

"What will you undertake?" cried he, eagerly, "I know you are anangel!--tell me, what will you undertake?"

"I will, --" said Cecilia, hesitating, "I will speak to Mr Monckton, --I will consult--"

"You may as well consult with every cursed creditor in the house!"interrupted he; "but do so, if you please; my disgrace must perforcereach him soon, and a short anticipation is not worth begging off. "

"Are your creditors then actually in the house?"

"O yes, yes! and therefore it is high time I should be out of it!--Did you not see them?--Do they not line the hall?--They threaten mewith three executions before night!--three executions unless Isatisfy their immediate demands!--"

"And to what do their demands amount?"

"I know not!--I dare not ask!--to some thousand pounds, perhaps, --and I have not, at this minute, forty guineas in the house!"

"Nay, then, " cried Cecilia, retreating, "I can indeed do nothing! iftheir demands are so high, I _ought_ to do nothing. "

She would then have quitted him, not more shocked at his situation, than indignant at the wilful extravagance which had occasioned it. 

"Stay, " cried he, "and hear me!" then, lowering his voice, "seekout, " he continued, "your unfortunate friend, --go to the poor ruinedPriscilla, --prepare her for tidings of horror! and do not, thoughyou renounce Me, do not abandon Her!"

Then, fiercely passing her, he was himself leaving the room; butCecilia, alarmed by the fury of his manner, called out, "What is ityou mean? what tidings of horror? whither are you going?"

"To hell!" cried he, and rushed out of the apartment. 

Cecilia screamed aloud, and conjuring him to hear her, ran afterhim; he paid her no regard, but, flying faster than she had power topursue, reached his own dressing-room, shut himself into it withviolence, and just as she arrived at the door, turned the key, andbolted it. 

Her terror was now inexpressible; she believed him in the very actof suicide, and her refusal of assistance seemed the signal for thedeed: her whole fortune, at that moment, was valueless andunimportant to her, compared with the preservation of a fellow-creature: she called out with all the vehemence of agony to beg hewould open the door, and eagerly promised by all that was sacred todo everything in her power to save him. 

At these words he opened it; his face was totally without colour, and he grasped a razor in his hand. 

"You have stopt me, " said he, in a voice scarce audible, "at thevery moment I had gathered courage for the blow: but if indeed youwill assist me, I will shut this up, --if not, I will steep it in myblood!"

"I will! I will!" cried Cecilia, "I will do every thing you desire!"

"And quickly?"

"Immediately. "

"Before my disgrace is known? and while all may yet be hushed up?"

"Yes, yes! all--any--every thing you wish!"

"Swear, then!"

Here Cecilia drew back; her recollection returned as her terrorabated, and her repugnance to entering into an engagement for sheknew not what, with a man whose actions she condemned, and whoseprinciples she abhorred, made all her fright now give way toindignation, and, after a short pause, she angrily answered, "No, Sir, I will not swear!--but yet, all that is reasonable, all that isfriendly--"

"Hear me swear, then!" interrupted he, furiously, "which at thismoment I do, by every thing eternal, and by every thing infernal, that I will not outlive the seizure of my property, and that themoment I am informed there is an execution in my house, shall be thelast of my existence!"

"What cruelty! what compulsion! what impiety!" cried Cecilia: "giveme, however, that horrible instrument, and prescribe to me whatconditions you please. "

A noise was now heard below stairs, at which Cecilia, who had notdared call for help lest he should quicken his desperation, wassecretly beginning to rejoice, when, starting at the sound, heexclaimed, "I believe you are too late!--the ruffians have alreadyseized my house!" then, endeavouring to force her out of the room, "Go, " he cried, "to my wife;--I want to be alone!"

"Oh give me first, " cried she, "that weapon, and I will take whatoath you please!"

"No, no!--go, --leave me, --" cried he, almost breathless withemotion, "I must not now be trifled with. "

"I do not trifle! indeed I do not!" cried Cecilia, holding by hisarm: "try, put me to the proof!"

"Swear, solemnly swear, to empty my house of these creditors thismoment!"

"I do swear, " cried she, with energy, "and Heaven prosper me as I amsincere!"

"I see, I see you are an angel!" cried he, rapturously, "and as suchI worship and adore you! O you have restored me to life, and rescuedme from perdition!"

"Give me, then, that fatal instrument!"

"That instrument, " returned he, "is nothing, since so many othersare in my power; but you have now taken from me all desire of usingthem. Go, then, and stop those wretches from coming to me, --sendimmediately for the Jew!--he will advance what money you please, --myman knows where to find him; consult with Mr Arnott, --speak a wordof comfort to Priscilla, --but do nothing, nothing at all, till youhave cleared my house of those cursed scoundrels!"

Cecilia, whose heart sunk within her at the solemn promise she hadgiven, the mention of the Jew, and the arduous task she hadundertaken, quitted him without reply, and was going to her ownroom, to compose her hurried spirits, and consider what steps shehad to take, when hearing the noise in the hall grow louder, shestopt to listen, and catching some words that greatly alarmed her, went half way down stairs, when she was met by Davison, Mr Harrel'sman, of whom she enquired into the occasion of the disturbance. 

He answered that he must go immediately to his master, for thebailiffs were coming into the house. 

"Let him not know it if you value his life!" cried she, with newterror. "Where is Mr Arnott? call him to me, --beg him to come thismoment;--I will wait for him here. "

The man flew to obey her; and Cecilia, finding she had time neitherfor deliberation nor regret, and dreading lest Mr Harrel, by hearingof the arrival of the bailiffs, should relapse into despair, determined to call to her aid all the courage, prudence, andjudgment she possessed, and, since to act she was compelled, endeavour with her best ability, to save his credit, and retrievehis affairs. 

The moment Mr Arnott came, she ordered Davison to hasten to hismaster, and watch his motions. 

Then, addressing Mr Arnott, "Will you. Sir, " she said, "go and tellthose people that if they will instantly quit the house, every thingshall be settled, and Mr Harrel will satisfy their demands?"

"Ah madam!" cried Mr Arnott, mournfully, "and how? he has no meansto pay them, and I have none--without ruin to myself, --to help him!"

"Send them but away, " said Cecilia, "and I will myself be yoursecurity that your promise shall not be disgraced. "

"Alas, madam, " cried he, "what are you doing? well as I wish to MrHarrel, miserable as I am for my unfortunate sister, I yet cannotbear that such goodness, such beneficence should be injured!"

Cecilia, however, persisted, and with evident reluctance he obeyedher. 

While she waited his return, Davison came from Mr Harrel, who hadordered him to run instantly for the Jew. 

Good Heaven, thought Cecilia, that a man so wretchedly selfish andworldly, should dare, with all his guilt upon his head, To rush unlicenced on eternity! [Footnote: Mason's Elfrida]

Mr Arnott was more than half an hour with the people; and when, atlast, he returned, his countenance immediately proclaimed the illsuccess of his errand. The creditors, he said, declared they had sofrequently been deceived, that they would not dismiss the bailiffs, or retire themselves, without actual payment. 

"Tell them, then, Sir, " said Cecilia, " to send me their accounts, and, if it be possible, I will discharge them directly. "

Mr Arnott's eyes were filled with tears at this declaration, and heprotested, be the consequence to himself what it might, he would payaway every shilling he was worth, rather than witness suchinjustice. 

"No, " cried Cecilia, exerting more spirit, that she might shock himless, "I did not save Mr Harrel, to destroy so much better a man!you have suffered but too much oppression already; the present evilis mine; and from me, at least, none I hope will ever spread to MrArnott. "

Mr Arnott could not bear this; he was struck with grief, withadmiration, and with gratitude, and finding his tears now refused tobe restrained, he went to execute her commission in silentdejection. 

The dejection, however, was encreased, though his tears weredispersed, when he returned; "Oh madam!" he cried, "all yourefforts, generous as they are, will be of no avail! the bills evennow in the house amount to more than L7000!"

Cecilia, amazed and confounded, started and clasped her hands, calling out, "What must I do! to what have I bound myself! and howcan I answer to my conscience, --to my successors, such a disposal, such an abuse of so large a part of my fortune!"

Mr Arnott could make no answer; and they stood looking at each otherin silent irresolution, till Davison brought intelligence that theJew was already come, and waited to speak with her. 

"And what can I say to him?" cried she, more and more agitated; "Iunderstand nothing of usury; how am I to deal with him?"

Mr Arnott then confessed that he should himself have instantly beenbail for his brother, but that his fortune, originally not large, was now so much impaired by the many debts which from time to timehe had paid for him, that as he hoped some day to have a family ofhis own, he dare not run a risk by which he might be utterly ruined, and the less, as his sister had at Violet Bank been prevailed uponto give up her settlement. 

This account, which explained the late uneasiness of Mrs Harrel, still encreased the distress of Cecilia; and every moment sheobtained for reflection, augmented her reluctance to parting with_so_ large a sum of money for so worthless an object, and addedstrength to her resentment for the unjustifiable menaces which hadextorted from her such a promise. Yet not an instant would shelisten to Mr Arnott's offer of fulfilling her engagement, andcharged him, as he considered her own self-esteem worth her keeping, not to urge to her a proposal so ungenerous and selfish. 

Davison now came again to hasten her, and said that the Jew was withhis master, and they both impatiently expected her. 

Cecilia, half distracted with her uncertainty how to act, changedcolour at this message, and exclaimed "Oh Mr Arnott, run I beseechyou for Mr Monckton! bring him hither directly, --if any body cansave me it is him; but if I go back to Mr Harrel, I know it will beall over!"

"Certainly, " said Mr Arnott, "I will run to him this moment. "

"Yet no!--stop!--" cried the trembling Cecilia, "he can now do me nogood, --his counsel will arrive too late to serve me, --it cannot callback the oath I have given! it cannot, compulsatory as it was, makeme break it, and not be miserable for ever!"

This idea sufficed to determine her; and the apprehension of self-reproach, should the threat of Mr Harrel be put in execution, wasmore insupportable to her blameless and upright mind, than any lossor diminution which her fortune could sustain. 

Slowly however, with tardy and unwilling steps, her judgmentrepugnant, and her spirit repining, she obeyed the summons of MrHarrel, who, impatient of her delay, came forward to meet her. 

"Miss Beverley, " he cried, "there is not a moment to be lost; thisgood man will bring you any sum of money, upon a properconsideration, that you will command; but if he is not immediatelycommissioned, and these cursed fellows are not got out of my house, the affair will be blown, "---"and what will follow, " added he, lowering his voice, "I will not again frighten you by repeating, though I shall never recant. "

Cecilia turned from him in horror; and, with a faltering voice andheavy heart, entreated Mr Arnott to settle for her with the Jew. 

Large as was the sum, she was so near being of age, and her securitywas so good, that the transaction was soon finished: 7500 pounds wasreceived of the Jew, Mr Harrel gave Cecilia his bond for thepayment, the creditors were satisfied, the bailiffs were dismissed, and the house was soon restored to its customary appearance ofsplendid gaiety. 

Mrs Harrel, who during this scene had shut herself up in her ownroom to weep and lament, now flew to Cecilia, and in a transport ofjoy and gratitude, thanked her upon her knees for thus preservingher from utter ruin: the gentle Mr Arnott seemed uncertain whethermost to grieve or rejoice; and Mr Harrel repeatedly protested sheshould have the sole guidance of his future conduct. 

This promise, the hope of his amendment, and the joy she hadexpanded, somewhat revived the spirits of Cecilia; who, however, deeply affected by what had passed, hastened from them all to herown room. 

She had now parted with 8050 pounds to Mr Harrel, without any securitywhen or how it was to be paid; and that ardour of benevolence whichtaught her to value her riches merely as they enabled her to do goodand generous actions, was here of no avail to console or reward her, for her gift was compelled, and its receiver was all but detested. "How much better, " cried she, "would this have been bestowed uponthe amiable Miss Belfield! or upon her noble-minded, though proud-spirited brother! and how much less a sum would have made thevirtuous and industrious Hills easy and happy for life! but here, tobecome the tool of the extravagance I abhor! to be made responsiblefor the luxury I condemn! to be liberal in opposition to myprinciples, and lavish in defiance of my judgment!--Oh that my much-deceived Uncle had better known to what dangerous hands he committedme! and that my weak and unhappy friend had met with a worthierprotector of her virtue and safety!"

As soon, however, as she recovered from the first shock of herreflections, she turned her thoughts from herself to the formationof some plan that might, at least, render her donation of seriousand lasting use. The signal service she had just done them gave herat present an ascendency over the Harrels, which she hoped, ifimmediately exerted, might prevent the return of so calamitous ascene, by engaging them both to an immediate change of conduct. Butunequal herself to contriving expedients for this purpose that mightnot easily be controverted, she determined to send the next morninga petition to Mr Monckton to call upon her, reveal to him the wholetransaction, and entreat him to suggest to her what, with mostprobability of success, she might offer to their consideration. 

While this was passing in her mind, on the evening of the day inwhich she had so dearly purchased the right of giving counsel, shewas summoned to tea. 

She found Mr Harrel and his lady engaged in earnest discourse; assoon as she appeared, the former said, "My dear Miss Beverley, afterthe extraordinary kindness you have shewn me this morning, you willnot, I am sure, deny me one trifling favour which I mean to ask thisevening. "

"No, " said Mrs Harrel, "that I am sure she will not, when she knowsthat our future appearance in the world depends upon her grantingit. "

"I hope, then, " said Cecilia, "I shall not wish to refuse it. "

"It is nothing in the world, " said Mr Harrel, "but to go with us to-night to the Pantheon. "

Cecilia was struck with the utmost indignation at this proposal;that the man who in the morning had an execution in his house, should languish in the evening for the amusement of a public place, --that he who but a few hours before was plunging uncalled intoeternity, should, while the intended instrument of death was yetscarce cold from the grasp of his hand, deliberately court a returnof his distress, by instantly recurring to the methods which hadinvolved him in it, irritated and shocked her beyond even a wish ofdisguising her displeasure, and therefore, after an expressivesilence, she gave a cold, but absolute denial. 

"I see, " said Mr Harrel, somewhat confused, "you do not understandthe motives of our request. The unfortunate affair of this morningis very likely to spread presently all over the town; the onlyrefutation that can be given to it, is by our all appearing inpublic before any body knows whether to believe it or not. "

"Do, my dearest friend, " cried his lady, "oblige me by yourcompliance; indeed our whole reputation depends upon it. I made anengagement yesterday to go with Mrs Mears, and if I disappoint her, every body will be guessing the reason. "

"At least, " answered Cecilia, "my going can answer no purpose toyou: pray, therefore, do not ask me; I am ill disposed for such sortof amusement, and have by no means your opinion of its necessity. "

"But if we do not _all_ go, " said Mr Harrel, "we do almostnothing: you are known to live with us, and, your appearance at thiscritical time is important to our credit. If this misfortune getswind, the consequence is that every dirty tradesman in town to whomI owe a shilling, will be forming the same cursed combination thosescoundrels formed this morning, of coming in a body, and waiting fortheir money, or else bringing an execution into my house. . The onlyway to silence report is by putting a good face upon the matter atonce, and shewing ourselves to the world as if nothing had happened. Favour us, therefore, to-night with your company, which is reallyimportant to us, or ten to one, but in another fortnight, I shall bejust in the same scrape. "

Cecilia, however incensed at this intelligence that his debts werestill so numerous, felt now so much alarmed at the mention of anexecution, as if she was in actual danger of ruin herself. Terrified, therefore, though not convinced, she yielded to theirpersuasions, and consented to accompany them. 

They soon after separated to make some alteration in their dress, and then, calling in their way for Mrs Mears, they proceeded to thePantheon. 

CHAPTER vi

A MAN OF THE TON. 

At the door of the Pantheon they were joined by Mr Arnott and SirRobert Floyer, whom Cecilia now saw with added aversion: theyentered the great room during the second apt of the Concert, towhich as no one of the party but herself had any desire to listen, no sort of attention was paid; the ladies entertaining themselves asif no Orchestra was in the room, and the gentlemen, with an equaldisregard to it, struggling for a place by the fire, about whichthey continued hovering till the music was over. 

Soon after they were seated, Mr Meadows, sauntering towards them, whispered something to Mrs Mears, who, immediately rising, introduced him to Cecilia; after which, the place next to her beingvacant, he cast himself upon it, and lolling as much at his ease ashis situation would permit, began something like a conversation withher. 

"Have you been long in town, ma'am?"

"No, Sir. "

"This is not your first winter?"

"Of being in town, it is. "

"Then you have something new to see; O charming! how I envy you!--Are you pleased with the Pantheon?"

"Very much; I have seen no building at all equal to it. "

"You have not been abroad. Travelling is the ruin of all happiness!There's no looking at a building here after seeing Italy. "

"Does all happiness, then, depend upon the sight of buildings?" saidCecilia, when, turning towards her companion, she perceived himyawning, with such evident inattention to her answer, that notchusing to interrupt his reverie, she turned her head another way. 

For some minutes he took no notice of this; and then, as if suddenlyrecollecting himself, he called out hastily, "I beg your pardon, ma'am, you were saying something?"

"No, Sir, nothing worth repeating. " "O pray don't punish me soseverely as not to let me hear it!"

Cecilia, though merely not to seem offended at his negligence, wasthen again beginning an answer, when, looking at him as she spoke, she perceived that he was biting his nails with so absent an air, that he appeared not to know he had asked any question. Shetherefore broke off, and left him to his cogitation. 

Sometime after he addressed her again, saying, "Don't you find thisplace extremely tiresome, ma'am?"

"Yes, Sir, " said she, half laughing, "it is, indeed, not veryentertaining!"

"Nothing is entertaining, " answered he, "for two minutes together. Things are so little different one from another, that there is nomaking pleasure out of any thing. We go the same dull round forever; nothing new, no variety! all the same thing over again! Areyou fond of public places, ma'am?"

"Yes, Sir, _soberly_, as Lady Grace says. "

"Then I envy you extremely, for you have some amusement always inyour own power. How desirable that is!"

"And have not you the same resources?"

"O no! I am tired to death! tired of every thing! I would give theuniverse for a disposition less difficult to please. Yet, after all, what is there to give pleasure? When one has seen one thing, one hasseen every thing. O, 'tis heavy work! Don't you find it so, ma'am?"

This speech was ended with so violent a fit of yawning, that Ceciliawould not trouble herself to answer it: but her silence, as before, passed wholly unnoticed, exciting neither question nor comment. 

A long pause now succeeded, which he broke at last, by saying, as hewrithed himself about upon his seat, "These forms would be much moreagreeable if there were backs to them. "Tis intolerable to be forcedto sit like a school-boy. The first study of life is ease. There is, indeed, no other study that pays the trouble of attainment. Don'tyou think so, ma'am?"

"But may not even that, " said Cecilia, "by so much study, becomelabour?"

"I am vastly happy you think so. "

"Sir?"

"I beg your pardon, ma'am, but I thought you said--I really beg yourpardon, but I was thinking of something else. "

"You did very right, Sir, " said Cecilia, laughing, "for what I saidby no means merited any attention. "

"Will you do me the favour to repeat it?" cried he, taking out hisglass to examine some lady at a distance. 

"O no, " said Cecilia, "that would be trying your patience tooseverely. "

"These glasses shew one nothing but defects, " said he; "I am sorrythey were ever invented. They are the ruin of all beauty; nocomplexion can stand them. I believe that solo will never be over; Ihate a solo; it sinks, it depresses me intolerably. "

"You will presently, Sir, " said Cecilia, looking at the bill of theconcert, "have a full piece; and that, I hope, will revive you. "

"A full piece! oh insupportable! it stuns, it fatigues, itoverpowers me beyond endurance! no taste in it, no delicacy, no roomfor the smallest feeling. "

"Perhaps, then, you are only fond of singing?"

"I should be, if I could hear it; but we are now so miserably off invoices, that I hardly ever attempt to listen to a song, withoutfancying myself deaf from the feebleness of the performers. I hateevery thing that requires attention. Nothing gives pleasure thatdoes not force its own way. "

"You only, then, like loud voices, and great powers?"

"O worse and worse!--no, nothing is so disgusting to me. All myamazement is that these people think it worth while to give Concertsat all; one is sick to death of music. "

"Nay, " cried Cecilia, "if it gives no pleasure, at least it takesnone away; for, far from being any impediment to conversation, Ithink every body talks more during the performance than between theacts. And what is there better you could substitute in its place?"

Cecilia, receiving no answer to this question, again looked round tosee if she had been heard; when she observed her new acquaintance, with a very thoughtful air, had turned from her to fix his eyes uponthe statue of Britannia. 

Very soon after, he hastily arose, and seeming entirely to forgetthat he had spoke to her, very abruptly walked away. 

Mr Gosport, who was advancing to Cecilia, and had watched part ofthis scene, stopt him as he was retreating, and said "Why Meadows, how's this? are you caught at last?"

"O worn to death! worn to a thread!" cried he, stretching himself, and yawning; "I have been talking with a young lady to entertainher! O such heavy work! I would not go through it again formillions!

"What, have you talked yourself out of breath?"

"No; but the effort! the effort!--O, it has unhinged me for afortnight!--Entertaining a young lady!--one had better be a galley-slave at once!"

"Well but, did she not pay your toils? She is surely a sweetcreature. "

"Nothing can pay one for such insufferable exertion! though she'swell enough, too--better than the common run, --but shy, quite tooshy; no drawing her out"

"I thought that was to your taste. You commonly hate muchvolubility. How have I heard you bemoan yourself when attacked byMiss Larolles!"

"Larolles? O distraction! She talks me into a fever in two minutes. But so it is for ever! nothing but extremes to be met with! commongirls are too forward, this lady is too reserved--always some fault!always some drawback! nothing ever perfect!"

"Nay, nay, " cried Mr Gosport, "you do not know her; she is perfectenough in all conscience. "

"Better not know her, then, " answered he, again yawning, "for shecannot be pleasing. Nothing perfect is natural;--I hate every thingout of nature. "

He then strolled on, and Mr Gosport approached Cecilia. 

"I have been wishing, " cried he, "to address you this half hour, butas you were engaged with Mr Meadows, I did not dare advance. "

"O, I see your malice!" cried Cecilia; "you were determined to addweight to the value of your company, by making me fully sensiblewhere the balance would preponderate. "

"Nay, if you do not admire Mr Meadows, " cried he, "you must not evenwhisper it to the winds. "

"Is he, then, so very admirable?"

"O, he is now in the very height of fashionable favour: his dress isa model, his manners are imitated, his attention is courted, and hisnotice is envied. "

"Are you not laughing?"

"No, indeed; his privileges are much more extensive than I havementioned: his decision fixes the exact limits between what isvulgar and what is elegant, his praise gives reputation, and a wordfrom him in public confers fashion!"

"And by what wonderful powers has he acquired such influence?"

"By nothing but a happy art in catching the reigning foibles of thetimes, and carrying them to an extreme yet more absurd than any onehad done before him. Ceremony, he found, was already exploded forease, he, therefore, exploded ease for indolence; devotion to thefair sex, had given way to a more equal and rational intercourse, which, to push still farther, he presently exchanged for rudeness;joviality, too, was already banished for philosophical indifference, and that, therefore, he discarded, for weariness and disgust. "

"And is it possible that qualities such as these should recommendhim to favour and admiration?"

"Very possible, for qualities such as these constitute the presenttaste of the times. A man of the _Ton_, who would now beconspicuous in the gay world, must invariably be insipid, negligent, and selfish. "

"Admirable requisites!" cried Cecilia; "and Mr Meadows, Iacknowledge, seems to have attained them all. "

"He must never, " continued Mr Gosport, "confess the least pleasurefrom any thing, a total apathy being the chief ingredient of hischaracter: he must, upon no account, sustain a conversation with anyspirit, lest he should appear, to his utter disgrace, interested inwhat is said: and when he is quite tired of his existence, from atotal vacuity of ideas, he must affect a look of absence, andpretend, on the sudden, to be wholly lost in thought. "

"I would not wish, " said Cecilia, laughing, "a more amiablecompanion!"

"If he is asked his opinion of any lady, " he continued, "he mustcommonly answer by a grimace; and if he is seated next to one, hemust take the utmost pains to shew by his listlessness, yawning, andinattention, that he is sick of his situation; for what he holds ofall things to be most gothic, is gallantry to the women. To avoidthis is, indeed, the principal solicitude of his life. If he sees alady in distress for her carriage, he is to enquire of her what isthe matter, and then, with a shrug, wish her well through herfatigues, wink at some bye-stander, and walk away. If he is in aroom where there is a crowd of company, and a scarcity of seats, hemust early ensure one of the best in the place, be blind to alllooks of fatigue, and deaf to all hints of assistance, and seemingtotally to forget himself, lounge at his ease, and appear anunconscious spectator of what is going forward. If he is at a ballwhere there are more women than men, he must decline dancing at all, though it should happen to be his favourite amusement, and smilingas he passes the disengaged young ladies, wonder to see them sitstill, and perhaps ask them the reason!"

"A most alluring character indeed!" cried Cecilia; "and pray howlong have these been the accomplishments of a fine gentleman?"

"I am but an indifferent chronologer of the modes, " he answered, "but I know it has been long enough to raise just expectations thatsome new folly will be started soon, by which the present race ofINSENSIBLISTS may be driven out. Mr Meadows is now at the head ofthis sect, as Miss Larolles is of the VOLUBLE, and Miss Leeson ofthe SUPERCILIOUS. But this way comes another, who, though in adifferent manner, labours with the same view, and aspires at thesame reward, which stimulate the ambition of this happy_Triplet_, that of exciting wonder by peculiarity, and envy bywonder. "

This description announced Captain Aresby; who, advancing from thefire-place, told Cecilia how much he rejoiced in seeing her, said hehad been _reduced to despair_ by so long missing that honour, and that he had feared she _made it a principle_ to avoidcoming in public, having sought her in vain _partout_. 

He then smiled, and strolled on to another party. 

"And pray of what sect, " said Cecilia, "is this gentleman?"

"Of the sect of JARGONISTS, " answered Mr Gosport; "he has not anambition beyond paying a passing compliment, nor a word to make useof that he has not picked up at public places. Yet this dearth oflanguage, however you may despise it, is not merely owing to anarrow capacity: foppery and conceit have their share in thelimitation, for though his phrases are almost always ridiculous ormisapplied, they are selected with much study, and introduced withinfinite pains. "

"Poor man!" cried Cecilia, "is it possible it can cost him anytrouble to render himself so completely absurd?"

"Yes; but not more than it costs his neighbours to keep him incountenance. Miss Leeson, since she has presided over the sect ofthe SUPERCILIOUS, spends at least half her life in wishing theannihilation of the other half; for as she must only speak in herown Coterie, she is compelled to be frequently silent, andtherefore, having nothing to think of, she is commonly gnawn withself-denial, and soured with want of amusement: Miss Larolles, indeed, is better off, for in talking faster than she thinks, shehas but followed the natural bent of her disposition: as to thispoor JARGONIST, he has, I must own, rather a hard task, from thecontinual restraint of speaking only out of his own [Lilliputian]vocabulary, and denying himself the relief of ever uttering one wordby the call of occasion but what hardship is that, compared withwhat is borne by Mr Meadows? who, since he commenced INSENSIBLIST, has never once dared to be pleased, nor ventured for a moment tolook in good humour!"

"Surely, then, " said Cecilia, "in a short time, the punishment ofthis affectation will bring its cure. "

"No; for the trick grows into habit, and habit is a second nature. Asecret idea of fame makes his forbearance of happiness supportableto him: for he has now the self-satisfaction of considering himselfraised to that highest pinnacle of fashionable refinement which isbuilt upon apathy and scorn, and from which, proclaiming himselfsuperior to all possibility of enjoyment, he views the whole worldwith contempt! holding neither beauty, virtue, wealth, nor power ofimportance sufficient to kindle the smallest emotion!"

"O that they could all round listen to you!" cried Cecilia; "theywould soon, I think, sicken of their folly, if they heard it thusadmirably exposed. "

"No; they would but triumph that it had obtained them so muchnotice!--But pray do you see that gentleman, or don't you chuse toknow him, who has been bowing to you this half hour?"

"Where?" cried Cecilia, and, looking round, perceived Mr Morrice;who, upon her returning his salutation, instantly approached her, though he had never ventured to shew himself at Mr Harrel's, sincehis unfortunate accident on the evening of the masquerade. 

Entirely casting aside the easy familiarity at which he had latterlyarrived, he enquired after her health with the most fearfuldiffidence, and then, bowing profoundly, was modestly retiring; whenMrs Harrel perceiving him, smiled with so much good-humour, that hegathered courage to return and address her, and found her, to hisinfinite delight, as obliging and civil as ever. 

The Concert was now over; the ladies arose, and the gentlemen joinedthem. Morrice, at sight of Mr Harrel, was again shrinking; but MrHarrel, immediately shaking hands with him, enquired what had kepthim so long from Portman-Square? Morrice then, finding, to his greatsurprise, that no one had thought more of the mischief but himselfwho had committed it, joyously discarded his timidity, and became assprightly as before his mortification. 

A motion was now made for going to the tea-room; and as they walkedon, Cecilia, in looking up to examine the building, saw in one ofthe galleries young Delvile, and almost at the same time caught hiseye. 

Scarcely now did a moment elapse before he joined her. The sight ofhim, strongly reviving in her mind the painful contrariety ofopinion with which she had lately thought of him, the sentiments somuch in his favour which but a few days before she had encouraged, and which it was only that morning she had endeavoured to crush, made her meet him with a kind of melancholy that almost induced herto lament he was amiable, and repine that she knew none like him. 

His appearance, meantime, was far different; he seemed enchanted atthe sight of her, he flew eagerly to meet her, and his eyes sparkledwith pleasure as he approached her; a pleasure neither moderate nordisguised, but lively, unrestrained, and expressive. 

Cecilia, whose plans since she had last seen him had twice varied, who first had looked forward to being united with him for ever, andafterwards had determined to avoid with him even a commonacquaintance, could not, while these thoughts were all recurring toher memory, receive much delight from observing his gaiety, or feelat all gratified by his unembarrassed manners. The openness of hisattentions, and the frankness of his admiration, which hitherto hadcharmed her as marks of the sincerity of his character, now shockedher as proofs of the indifference of his heart, which feeling forher a mere common regard, that affected neither his spirits nor hispeace, he manifested without scruple, since it was not accompaniedwith even a wish beyond the present hour. 

She now, too, recollected that such had always been his conduct, onesingle and singular moment excepted, when, as he gave to her hisletter for Mr Belfield, he seemed struck as she was herself by theextraordinary co-incidence of their ideas and proceedings: thatemotion, however, she now regarded as casual and transitory, andseeing him so much happier than herself, she felt ashamed of herdelusion, and angry at her easy captivation. 

Reflections such as these, though they added fresh motives to herresolution of giving up all thoughts of his alliance, were yet sohumiliating, that they robbed her of all power of receiving pleasurefrom what was passing, and made her forget that the place she was inwas even intended for a place of entertainment. 

Young Delvile, after painting in lively colours the loss his househad sustained by her quitting it, and dwelling with equal force uponthe regret of his mother and his own, asked in a low voice if shewould do him so much honour as to introduce him to Mr Harrel; "Asthe son, " added he, "of a brother guardian, I think I have a kind ofclaim to his acquaintance. "

Cecilia could not refuse, though as the request was likely tooccasion more frequent meetings, she persuaded herself she wasunwilling to comply. The ceremony therefore past, and was againrepeated with Mrs Harrel, who, though she had several times seenhim, had never been formally made known to him. 

The Harrels were both of them much pleased at this mark of civilityin a young man whose family had prepared them rather to expect hisscorn, and expressed their wishes that he would drink his tea intheir party; he accepted their invitation with alacrity, and turningto Cecilia, said, "Have I not skilfully timed my introduction! Butthough you have done me this honour with Mr and Mrs Harrel, I mustnot yet, I presume, entreat you to extend it to a certain happygentleman of this company;" glancing his eyes toward Sir RobertFloyer. 

"No, Sir, " answered she, with quickness, "yet, nor ever!"

They were now at the door leading down stairs to the tea-room. Cecilia saw that Sir Robert, who had hitherto been engaged with somegentlemen, seemed to be seeking her; and the remembrance of thequarrel which had followed her refusal of his assistance at theOpera-house, obliged her to determine, should he offer it again, toaccept it: but the same brutality which forced this intention, contributed to render it repugnant to her, and she resolved ifpossible to avoid him, by hurrying down stairs before he reachedher. She made, therefore, a sudden attempt to slip through thecrowd, and as she was light and active, she easily succeeded; butthough her hasty motion separated her from the rest of her party, Delvile, who was earnestly looking at her, to discover her meaningin the disclaiming speech she made about Sir Robert, saw into herdesign, but suffered her not to go alone; he contrived in a momentto follow and join her, while she was stopping at the foot of thestairs for Mrs Harrel. 

"Why what a little thief you are, " cried he, "to run away from usthus! what do you think Sir Robert will say? I saw him looking foryou at the very instant of your flight. "

"Then you saw at the same time, " said Cecilia, "the reason of it. "

"Will you give me leave, " cried he, laughing, "to repeat this to myLord Ernolf?"

"You may repeat it, Sir, if you please, " said Cecilia, piqued thathe had not rather thought of himself than of Lord Ernolf, "to thewhole Pantheon. "

"And if I should, "cried he, "half of it, at least, would thank me;and to obtain the applause of so noble an assembly, what would itsignify that Sir Robert should cut my throat?"

"I believe, " said Cecilia, deeply mortified by a raillery thatshewed so little interest in her avowal of indifference, "you aredetermined to make me as sick of that man's name, as I am of hisconversation. "

"And is it possible, " exclaimed Delvile, in a tone of surprise, "that such can be your opinion, and yet, situated as you are, thewhole world at your command, and all mankind at your devotion--but Iam answering you seriously, when you are only speaking by rule. "

"What rule, Sir?"

"That which young ladies, upon certain occasions, always prescribethemselves. "

Here they were interrupted by the arrival of the rest of thecompany; though not before Cecilia had received some littleconsolation for her displeasure, by finding that young Delvile stillsupposed she was engaged, and flattering herself his language wouldbe different were he informed of the contrary. 

Morrice now undertook to procure them a table for tea, which, as theroom was very full, was not easily done; and while they were waitinghis success, Miss Larolles, who from the stairs had perceivedCecilia, came running up to her, and taking her hand, called out"Lord, my dear creature, who'd have thought of seeing you here? Iwas never so surprised in my life! I really thought you was goneinto a convent, it's so extreme long since I've seen you. But of allthings in the world, why was you not at Lady Nyland's last assembly?I thought of asking Mrs Harrel fifty times why you did not come, butit always went out of my head. You've no notion how excessively Iwas disappointed. "

"You are very obliging, " said Cecilia laughing, "but I hope, sinceyou so often forgot it, the disappointment did [not] much lessenyour entertainment. "

"O Lord no! I was never so happy in my life. There was such a crowd, you could not move a finger. Every body in the world was there. You've no idea how delightful it was. I thought verily I should havefainted with the heat. "

"That was delightful indeed! And how long did you stay?"

"Why we danced till three in the morning. We began with Cotillons, and finished with country dances. It was the most elegant thing youever saw in your life; every thing quite in a style. I was somonstrously fatigued, I could hardly get through the last dance. Ireally thought I should have dropt down dead. Only conceive dancingfive hours in such a monstrous crowd! I assure you when I got homemy feet were all blisters. You have no idea how they smarted. "

"And whence comes it, " cried young Delvile, "that _you_ partakeso little of these delights?"

"Because I fear, " answered Cecilia, "I came too late into the schoolof fashion to be a ductile pupil. "

"Do you know, " continued Miss Larolles, "Mr Meadows has not spokeone word to me all the evening! Though I am sure he saw me, for Isat at the outside on purpose to speak to a person or two, that Iknew would be strolling about; for if one sits on the inside, there's no speaking to a creature, you know, so I never do it at theOpera, nor in the boxes at Ranelagh, nor any where. It's theshockingest thing you can conceive to be made sit in the middle ofthose forms; one might as well be at home, for nobody can speak toone, "

"But you don't seem to have had much better success, " said Cecilia, "in keeping at the outside. "

"O yes I have, for I got a little chat with two or three people asthey were passing, for, you know, when one sits there, they can'thelp saying something; though I assure you all the men are soexceedingly odd they don't care whether they speak to one or no. Asto Mr Meadows, he's really enough to provoke one to death. I supposehe's in one of his absent fits. However, I assure you I think it'sextreme impertinent of him, and so I shall tell Mr Sawyer, for Iknow he'll make a point of telling him of it again. "

"I rather think, " said Cecilia, "the best would be to return thecompliment in kind, and when he next recollects you, appear to haveforgotten him. "

"O Lord, that's a very good notion! so I will, I declare. But youcan't conceive how glad I am the Concert's over; for I assure you, though I sat as near the fire as possible, I was so extreme coldyou've no idea, for Mr Meadows never would let me have the leastpeep at it. I declare I believe he does it on purpose to plague one, for he grows worse and worse every day. You can't think how I hatehim!"

"Not easily, I believe indeed!" said Cecilia, archly. 

"O do but look!" resumed the fair VOLUBLE, "if there is not MrsMears in her old red gown again! I begin to think she'll never haveanother. I wish she was to have an execution in her house, if it wasonly to get rid of it! I am so fatigued with the sight of it youcan't conceive. "

Mr Morrice now brought intelligence that he had secured one side ofa table which would very well accommodate the ladies; and that theother side was only occupied by one gentleman, who, as he was notdrinking tea himself, would doubtless give up his place when theparty appeared. 

Miss Larolles then ran back to her own set, and the rest followed MrMorrice; Mrs Harrell, Mrs Mears and Cecilia took their places. Thegentleman opposite to them proved to be Mr Meadows: Morrice, therefore, was much deceived in his expectations, for, far fromgiving up his place, he had flung himself all along upon the form insuch a lounging posture, while he rested one arm upon the table, that, not contented with merely keeping his own seat, he filled up aspace meant for three. 

Mr Harrel had already walked off to another party: Delvile stoodaloof for some minutes, expecting Sir Robert Floyer would stationhimself behind Cecilia; but Sir Robert, who would scarce havethought such a condescension due to a princess, disdained anyappearance of assiduity, even while he made it his care to publishhis pretensions: and therefore, finding no accommodation to pleasehim, he stalked towards some gentlemen in another part of the room. Delvile then took the post he had neglected, and Mr Arnott, who hadnot had courage to make any effort in his own favour, modestly stoodnear him. Cecilia contrived to make room for Mr Gosport next toherself, and Morrice was sufficiently happy in being allowed to callthe waiters, superintend, the provisions, and serve the whole party. 

The task of making tea fell upon Cecilia, who being somewhatincommoded by the vicinity of her neighbours, Mrs Mears called outto Mr Meadows "Do pray, Sir, be so good as to make room for one ofus at your side. "

Mr Meadows, who was indolently picking his teeth, and examining themwith a tooth pick case glass, did not, at first, seem to hear her;and when she repeated her request, he only looked at her, and said"umph?"

"Now really, Mr Meadows, " said she, "when you see any ladies in suchdistress, I wonder how you can forbear helping them. "

"In distress, are you?" cried he, with a vacant smile, "pray, what'sthe matter?"

"Don't you see? we are so crowded we can hardly sit. "

"Can't you?" cried he, "upon my honour it's very shameful that thesepeople don't contrive some seats more convenient"

"Yes, " said Mrs Mears; "but if you would be so kind as to letsomebody else sit by you we should not want any contrivance. "

Here Mr Meadows was seized with a furious fit of yawning, which asmuch diverted Cecilia and Mr Gosport, as it offended Mrs Mears, whowith great displeasure added, "Indeed, Mr Meadows, it's very strangethat you never hear what's said to you. "

"I beg your pardon, " said he, "were you speaking to me?" and againbegan picking his teeth. 

Morrice, eager to contrast his civility with the inattention of MrMeadows, now flew round to the other side of the table, and callingout "let _me_ help you, Miss Beverley, I can make tea betterthan anybody, " he lent over that part of the form which Mr Meadowshad occupied with one of his feet, in order to pour it out himself:but Mr Meadows, by an unfortunate removal of his foot, bringing himforwarder than he was prepared to go, the tea pot and its contentswere overturned immediately opposite to Cecilia. 

Young Delvile, who saw the impending evil, from an impetuous impulseto prevent her suffering by it, hastily drew her back, and bendingdown before her, secured her preservation by receiving himself themischief with which she was threatened. 

Mrs Mears and Mrs Harrel vacated their seats in a moment, and MrGosport and Mr Arnott assisted in clearing the table, and removingCecilia, who was very slightly hurt, and at once surprised, ashamed, and pleased at the manner in which she had been saved. 

Young Delvile, though a sufferer from his gallantry, the hot waterhaving penetrated through his coat to his arm and shoulder, was atfirst insensible to his situation, from an apprehension that Ceciliahad not wholly escaped; and his enquiries were so eager and soanxious, made with a look of such solicitude, and a voice of suchalarm, that, equally astonished and gratified, she secretly blestthe accident which had given birth to his uneasiness, however shegrieved for its consequence to himself. 

But no sooner was he satisfied of her safety, than he felt himselfobliged to retire; yet attributing to inconvenience what was reallythe effect of pain, he hurried away with an appearance of sport, saying, "There is something I must own, rather _unknightly_ inquitting the field for a wet jacket, but the company, I hope, willonly give me credit for flying away to Ranelagh. So

 "Like a brave general after being beat, I'll exult and rejoice in a prudent retreat. " [Footnote: Smart]

He then hastened to his carriage: and poor Morrice, frightened andconfounded at the disaster he had occasioned, sneaked after him withmuch less ceremony. While Mr Meadows, wholly unconcerned by thedistress and confusion around him, sat quietly picking his teeth, and looking on, during the whole transaction, with an unmeaningstare, that made it doubtful whether he had even perceived it. 

Order being now soon restored, the ladies finished their tea, andwent up stairs. Cecilia, to whom the late accident had afforded muchnew and interesting matter for reflection, wished immediately tohave returned home, but she was not the leader of the party, andtherefore could not make the proposal. 

They then strolled through all the apartments, and having walkedabout till the fashionable time of retiring, they were joined by SirRobert Floyer, and proceeded to the little room near the entrance tothe great one, in order to wait for their carriages. 

Here Cecilia again met Miss Larolles, who came to make variousremarks, and infinite ridicule, upon sundry unfashionable oruncostly articles in the dresses of the surrounding company; as wellas to complain, with no little resentment, that Mr Meadows was againstanding before the fire!

Captain Aresby also advanced, to tell her he was quite _abattu_by having so long lost sight of her, to hope she _would make arenounce_ of mortifying the world by discarding it, and toprotest he had waited for his carriage till he was actually upon thepoint of being [_accable_. ]

In the midst of this _jargon_, to which the fulness ofCecilia's mind hardly permitted her to listen, there suddenlyappeared at the door of the apartment, Mr Albany, who, with hisusual austerity of countenance, stopt to look round upon thecompany. 

"Do you see, " cried Mr Gosport to Cecilia, "who approaches? yourpoor _sycophants_ will again be taken to task, and I, for one, tremble at the coming storm!"

"O Lord, " cried Miss Larolles, "I wish I was safe in my chair! thatman always frightens me out of my senses. You've no notion whatdisagreeable things he says to one. I assure you I've no doubt buthe's crazy; and I'm always in the shockingest fright in the worldfor fear he should be taken with a fit while I'm near him. "

"It is really a petrifying thing, " said the Captain, "that one cango to no _spectacle_ without the _horreur_ of being_obsede_ by that person! if he comes this way, I shallcertainly make a renounce, and retire. "

"Why so?" said Sir Robert, "what the d---l do you mind him for?"

"O he is the greatest bore in nature!" cried the Captain, "and Ialways do _mon possible_ to avoid him; for he breaks out insuch barbarous phrases, that I find myself _degoute_ with himin a moment. "

"O, I assure you, " said Miss Larolles, "he attacks one sometimes ina manner you've no idea. One day he came up to me all of a sudden, and asked me what good I thought I did by dressing so much? Onlyconceive how shocking!"

"O, I have had the _horreur_ of questions of that sort from him_sans fin_, " said the Captain; "once he took the liberty to askme, what service I was of to the world! and another time, he desiredme to inform him whether I had ever made any poor person pray forme! and, in short, he has so frequently inconvenienced me by hisimpertinences, that he really bores me to a degree. "

"That's just the thing that makes him hunt you down, " said SirRobert; "if he were to ask me questions for a month together, Ishould never trouble myself to move a muscle. "

"The matter of his discourse, " said Mr Gosport, "is not moresingular than the manner, for without any seeming effort orconsciousness, he runs into blank verse perpetually. I have mademuch enquiry about him, but all I am able to learn, is that he wascertainly confined, at one part of his life, in a private mad-house:and though now, from not being mischievous, he is set at liberty, his looks, language, and whole behaviour, announce the former injuryof his intellects. "

"O Lord, " cried Miss Larolles, half-screaming, "what shockingnotions you put in one's head! I declare I dare say I sha'n't getsafe home for him, for I assure you I believe he's taken a spite tome! and all because one day, before I knew of his odd ways, Ihappened to fall a laughing at his going about in that old coat. Doyou know it put him quite in a passion! only conceive how ill-natured!"

"O he has distressed me, " exclaimed the Captain, with a shrug, "_partout_! and found so much fault with every thing I havedone, that I should really be glad to have the honour to cut, forthe moment he comes up to me, I know what I have to expect!"

"But I must tell you, " cried Miss Larolles, "how monstrously he putme in a fright one evening when I was talking with Miss Moffat. Doyou know, he came up to us, and asked what we were saying! andbecause we could not think in a minute of something to answer him, he said he supposed we were only talking some scandal, and so we hadbetter go home, and employ ourselves in working for the poor! onlythink how horrid! and after that, he was so excessive impertinent inhis remarks, there was quite no bearing him. I assure you he cut meup so you've no notion. "

Here Mr Albany advanced; and every body but Sir Robert moved out ofthe way. 

Fixing his eyes upon Cecilia, with an expression _more in sorrowthan in anger_, after contemplating her some time in silence, heexclaimed, "Ah lovely, but perishable flower! how long will thatingenuous countenance, wearing, because wanting no disguise, lookresponsive of the whiteness of the region within? How long will thatair of innocence irradiate your whole appearance? unspoilt byprosperity, unperverted by power! pure in the midst of surroundingdepravity! unsullied in the tainted air of infectious perdition!"

The confusion of Cecilia at this public address, which drew upon herthe eyes and attention of all the company, was inexpressible; shearose from her seat, covered with blushes, and saying, "I fancy thecarriage must be ready, " pressed forward to quit the room, followedby Sir Robert, who answered, "No, no, they'll call it when it comesup. Arnott, will you go and see where it is?"

Cecilia stopt, but whispered Mrs Harrel to stand near her. 

"And whither, " cried Albany indignantly, "whither wouldst thou go?Art thou already disdainful of my precepts? and canst thou not oneshort moment spare from the tumultuous folly which encircles thee?Many and many are the hours thou mayst spend with such as these; theworld, alas! is full of them; weary not then, so soon, of an old manthat would admonish thee, --he cannot call upon thee long, for soonhe will be called upon himself!"

This solemn exhortation extremely distressed her; and fearing tostill further offend him by making another effort to escape, sheanswered in a low voice, "I will not only hear, but thank you foryour precepts, if you will forbear to give them before so manywitnesses. "

"Whence, " cried he sternly, "these vain and superficialdistinctions? Do you not dance in public? What renders you moreconspicuous? Do you not dress to be admired, and walk to beobserved? Why then this fantastical scruple, unjustified by reason, unsupported by analogy? Is folly only to be published? Is vanityalone to be exhibited? Oh slaves of senseless contradiction! Ohfeeble followers of yet feebler prejudice! daring to be wicked, yetfearing to be wise; dauntless in levity, yet shrinking from the nameof virtue!"

The latter part of this speech, during which he turned with energyto the whole company, raised such a general alarm, that all theladies hastily quitted the room, and all the gentlemen endeavouredto enter it, equally curious to see the man who made the oration, and the lady to whom it was addressed. Cecilia, therefore, found hersituation unsupportable; "I must go, " she cried, "whether there is acarriage or not! pray, Mrs Harrel, let us go!"

Sir Robert then offered to take her hand, which she was extremelyready to give him; but while the crowd made their passage difficult, Albany, following and stopping her, said, "What is it you fear? amiserable old man, worn out by the sorrows of that experience fromwhich he offers you counsel? What, too, is it you trust? a libertinewretch, coveting nothing but your wealth, for the gift of which hewill repay you by the perversion of your principles!"

"What the d--l do you mean by that?" cried the Baronet. 

"To shew, " answered he, austerely, "the inconsistency of falsedelicacy; to show how those who are too timid for truth, canfearless meet licentiousness. "

"For Heaven's sake, Sir, " cried Cecilia, "say no more to me now:call upon me in Portman-square when you please, --reprove me inwhatever you think me blameable, I shall be grateful for yourinstructions, and bettered, perhaps, by your care;--but lessons andnotice thus public can do me nothing but injury. "

"How happy, " cried he, "were no other injury near thee! spotlesswere then the hour of thy danger, bright, fair and refulgent thypassage to security! the Good would receive thee with praise, theGuilty would supplicate thy prayers, the Poor would follow thee withblessings, and Children would be taught by thy example!"

He then quitted her, every body making way as he moved, andproceeded into the great room. Mrs Harrel's carriage being announcedat the same time, Cecilia lost not an instant in hastening away. 

Sir Robert, as he conducted her, disdainfully laughed at theadventure, which the general licence allowed to Mr Albany preventedhis resenting, and which therefore he scorned to appear moved at. 

Miss Harrel could talk of nothing else, neither was Cecilia disposedto change the subject, for the remains of insanity which seemed tohang upon him were affecting without being alarming, and her desireto know more of him grew every instant stronger. 

This desire, however, outlived not the conversation to which it gaverise; when she returned to her own room, no vestige of it remainedupon her mind, which a nearer concern and deeper interest whollyoccupied. 

The behaviour of young Delvile had pained, pleased, and disturbedher; his activity to save her from mischief might proceed merelyfrom gallantry or good nature; upon that, therefore, she dweltlittle: but his eagerness, his anxiety, his insensibility tohimself, were more than good breeding could claim, and seemed tospring from a motive less artificial. 

She now, therefore, believed that her partiality was returned; andthis belief had power to shake all her resolves, and enfeeble allher objections. The arrogance of Mr Delvile lessened in herreflections, the admonitions of Mr Monckton abated in theirinfluence. With the first she considered that though connected sheneed not live, and for the second, though she acknowledged theexcellence of his judgment, she concluded him wholly ignorant of hersentiments of Delvile; which she imagined, when once revealed, wouldmake every obstacle to the alliance seem trifling, when put incompetition with mutual esteem and affection. 

CHAPTER vii

A REPROOF. 

The attention of Cecilia to her own affairs, did not make herforgetful of those of the Harrels: and the morning after the busyday which was last recorded, as soon as she quitted the breakfast-room, she began a note to Mr Monckton, but was interrupted withinformation that he was already in the house. 

She went to him immediately, and had the satisfaction of finding himalone: but desirous as she was to relate to him the transactions ofthe preceding day, there was in his countenance a gravity sounusual, that her impatience was involuntarily checked, and shewaited first to hear if he had himself any thing to communicate. 

He kept her not long in suspence; "Miss Beverley, " he said, "I bringyou intelligence which though I know you will be very sorry to hear, it is absolutely necessary should be told you immediately: you mayotherwise, from however laudable motives, be drawn into some actionwhich you may repent for life. "

"What now!" cried Cecilia, much alarmed. 

"All that I suspected, " said he, "and more than I hinted to you, istrue; Mr Harrel is a ruined man! he is not worth a groat, and he isin debt beyond what he ever possessed. "

Cecilia made no answer: she knew but too fatally the desperate stateof his affairs, yet that _his debts were more than he had everpossessed_, she had not thought possible. 

"My enquiries, " continued he, "have been among principals, and suchas would not dare deceive me. I hastened, therefore, to you, thatthis timely notice might enforce the injunctions I gave you when Ihad the pleasure of seeing you last, and prevent a misjudginggenerosity from leading you into any injury of your own fortune, fora man who is past all relief from it, and who cannot be saved, eventhough you were to be destroyed for his sake. "

"You are very good, " said Cecilia, "but your counsel is now toolate!" She then briefly acquainted him with what passed, and withhow large a sum she had parted. 

He heard her with rage, amazement, and horror: and after inveighingagainst Mr Harrel in the bitterest terms, he said, "But why, beforeyou signed your name to so base an imposition, could you not sendfor me?"

"I wished, I meant to have done it, " cried she, "but I thought thetime past when you could help me: how, indeed, could you have savedme? my word was given, given with an oath the most solemn, and thefirst I have ever taken in my life. "

"An oath so forced, " answered he, "the most delicate consciencewould have absolved you from performing. You have, indeed, beengrossly imposed upon, and pardon me if I add unaccountably to blame. Was it not obvious that relief so circumstanced must be temporary?If his ruin had been any thing less than certain, what tradesmenwould have been insolent? You have therefore deprived yourself ofthe power of doing good to a worthier object, merely to grant alonger date to extravagance and villainy. "

"Yet how, " cried Cecilia, deeply touched by this reproof, "how couldI do otherwise! Could I see a man in the agonies of despair, hearhim first darkly hint his own destruction, and afterwards behold himalmost in the very act of suicide, the instrument of self-murder inhis desperate hand--and yet, though he put his life in my power, though he told me I could preserve him, and told me he had no otherreliance or resource, could I leave him to his dreadful despondence, refuse my assisting hand to raise him from perdition, and, to savewhat, after all, I am well able to spare, suffer a fellow-creature, who flung himself upon my mercy, to offer up his last accounts withan action blacker than any which had preceded it?--No, I cannotrepent what I have done, though I lament, indeed, that the objectwas not more deserving. "

"Your representation, " said Mr Monckton, "like every thing else thatI ever heard you utter, breathes nothing but benevolence andgoodness: but your pity has been abused, and your understandingimposed upon. Mr Harrel had no intention to destroy himself; thewhole was an infamous trick, which, had not your generosity been toowell known, would never have been played. "

"I cannot think quite so ill of him, " said Cecilia, "nor for theworld would I have risked my own future reproaches by trusting tosuch a suspicion, which, had it proved wrong, and had Mr Harrel, upon my refusal committed the fatal deed, would have made his murderupon my own conscience rest for ever! surely the experiment wouldhave been too hazardous, when the consequence had all my futurepeace in its power. 

"It is impossible not to revere your scruples, " said Mr Monckton, "even while I consider them as causeless; for causeless theyundoubtedly were: the man who could act so atrocious a part, whocould so scandalously pillage a young lady who was his guest and hisward, take advantage of her temper for the plunder of her fortune, and extort her compliance by the basest and most dishonourable arts, meant only to terrify her into compliance, for he can be nothingless than a downright and thorough scoundrel, capable of everyspecies of mean villainy. "

He then protested he would at least acquaint her other guardianswith what had passed, whose business it would be to enquire if therewas any chance of redress. 

Cecilia, however, had not much trouble in combating this proposal;for though her objections, which were merely those of punctilioushonour and delicacy, weighed nothing with a man who regarded them asabsurdities, yet his own apprehensions of appearing too officious inher affairs, forced him, after a little deliberation, to give up thedesign. 

"Besides, " said Cecilia, "as I have his bond for what I have partedwith, I have, at least, no right to complain, unless, after hereceives his rents, he refuses to pay me. "

"His bonds! his rents!" exclaimed Mr Monckton, "what is a man's bondwho is not worth a guinea? and what are his rents, when all he everowned must be sold before they are due, and when he will not himselfreceive a penny from the sale, as he has neither land, house, norpossession of any sort that is not mortgaged?"

"Nay, then, " said Cecilia, "if so, it is indeed all, over! I amsorry, I am grieved!--but it is past, and nothing, therefore, remains, but that I try to forget I ever was richer!"

"This is very youthful philosophy, " said Mr Monckton; "but it willnot lessen your regret hereafter, when the value of money is betterknown to you. "

"If I shall dearly buy my experience, " said Cecilia, "let me be themore attentive to making good use of it; and, since my loss seemsirremediable to myself, let me at least endeavour to secure itsutility to Mr Harrel. "

She then told him her wish to propose to that gentleman some schemeof reformation, while yesterday's events were yet recent in hismind: but Mr Monckton, who had hardly patience to hear her, exclaimed, "He is a wretch, and deserves the full force of thedisgrace he is courting. What is now most necessary is to guard youfrom his further machinations, for you may else be involved in ruinas deep as his own. He now knows the way to frighten you, and hewill not fail to put it in practice. "

"No, Sir, " answered Cecilia, "he would vainly apply to me in future:I cannot repent that I ventured not yesterday to brave his menaces, but too little is the comfort I feel from what I have bestowed, tosuffer any consideration to make me part with more. "

"Your resolution, " answered he, "will be as feeble as yourgenerosity will be potent: depend nothing upon yourself, butinstantly quit his house. You will else be made responsible forevery debt that he contracts; and whatever may be his difficultieshereafter, he will know that to extricate himself from them, he hasbut to talk of dying, and to shew you a sword or a pistol. "

"If so, then, " said Cecilia, looking down while she spoke, "Isuppose I must again go to Mr Delvile's. "

This was by no means the purpose of Mr Monckton, who saw not moredanger to her fortune with one of her guardians, than to her personwith the other. He ventured, therefore, to recommend to her aresidence with Mr Briggs, well knowing that his house would be asecurity against her seeing any man equal to himself, and hopingthat under his roof he might again be as unrivalled in her opinionand esteem, as he formerly was in the country. 

But here the opposition of Cecilia was too earnest for any hope thatit might be surmounted; for, added to her dislike of Mr Briggs, herrepugnance to such an habitation was strongly, though silentlyincreased, by her secret inclination to return to St James's-square. 

"I mention not Mr Briggs as an eligible host, " said Mr Monckton, after listening to her objections, "but merely as one more properfor you than Mr Delvile, with whom your fixing at present would butbe ill thought of in the world. "

"Ill thought of, Sir? Why so?"

"Because he has a son; for whose sake alone it would be universallyconcluded you changed your abode: and to give any pretence for sucha report, would by no means accord with the usual delicacy of yourconduct. "

Cecilia was confounded by this speech: the truth of the charge shefelt, and the probability of the censure she did not dare dispute. 

He then gave her a thousand exhortations to beware of the schemesand artifices of Mr Harrel, which he foresaw would be innumerable. He told her, too, that with respect to Sir Robert Floyer, he thoughtshe had better suffer the report to subside of itself, which in timeit must necessarily do, than give to it so much consequence as tosend a message to the Baronet, from which he might pretend to inferthat hitherto she had been wavering, or she would have sent to himsooner. 

But the real motive of this advice was, that as he found Sir Robertby no means to be dreaded, he hoped the report, if generallycirculated and credited, might keep off other pretenders, andintimidate or deceive young Delvile. 

The purport for which Cecilia had wished this conference was, however, wholly unanswered; Mr Monckton, enraged by the conduct ofMr Harrel, refused to talk of his affairs, and could only mentionhim with detestation: but Cecilia, less severe in her judgment, andmore tender in her heart, would not yet give up the hope of anamendment she so anxiously wished; and having now no other person towhom she could apply, determined to consult with Mr Arnott, whoseaffection for his sister would give him a zeal in the affair thatmight somewhat supply the place of superior abilities. There was, indeed, no time to be lost in making the projected attempt, for nosooner was the immediate danger of suffering removed, than the alarmwore away, and the penitence was forgotten; every thing went on asusual, no new regulations were made, no expences abated, nopleasures forborn, not a thought of hereafter admitted: and ruinousand terrible as had been the preceding storm, no trace of it wasvisible in the serenity of the present calm. 

An occasion of discussion with Mr Arnott very speedily offered. MrHarrel said he had observed in the looks of his friends at thePantheon much surprise at the sight of him, and declared he shouldtake yet another measure for removing all suspicion. This was togive a splendid entertainment at his own house to all hisacquaintance, to which he meant to invite every body of anyconsequence he had ever seen, and almost every body he had everheard of, in his life. 

Levity so unfeeling, and a spirit of extravagance so irreclaimable, were hopeless prognostics; yet Cecilia would not desist from herdesign. She therefore took the earliest opportunity of speaking withMr Arnott upon the subject, when she openly expressed her uneasinessat the state of his brother's affairs, and warmly acknowledged herdispleasure at his dissipated way of life. 

Mr Arnott soon shewed that example was all he wanted to declare thesame sentiments. He owned he had long disapproved the conduct of MrHarrel, and trembled at the situation of his sister. They thenconsidered what it was possible to propose that might retrieve theiraffairs, and concluded that entirely to quit London for some years, was the only chance that remained of saving them from absolutedestruction. 

Mr Arnott, therefore, though fearfully, and averse to the talk, toldhis sister their mutual advice. She thanked him, said she was muchobliged to him, and would certainly consider his proposal, andmention it to Mr Harrel. --Parties of pleasure, however, intervened, and the promise was neglected. 

Cecilia then again spoke herself. Mrs Harrel, much softened by herlate acts of kindness, was no longer offended by her interference, but contented herself with confessing that she quite hated thecountry, and could only bear to live in it in summer time. And whenCecilia very earnestly expostulated on the weakness of such anobjection to a step absolutely necessary for her future safety andhappiness, she said, _she could do no worse than that if alreadyruined_, and therefore that she thought _it would be very hardto expect from her such a sacrifice before-hand_. 

It was in vain Cecilia remonstrated: Mrs Harrel's love of pleasurewas stronger than her understanding, and therefore, though shelistened to her with patience, she concluded with the same answershe had begun. 

Cecilia then, though almost heartless, resolved upon talking with MrHarrel himself: and therefore, taking an opportunity which he hadnot time to elude, she ingenuously told him her opinion of hisdanger, and of the manner in which it might be avoided. 

He paid unusual attention to her advice, but said she was muchmistaken with respect to his affairs, which he believed he shouldnow very speedily retrieve, as he had had the preceding night anuncommon _run of luck_, and flattered himself with being ablevery shortly to pay all his debts, and begin the world again upon anew score. 

This open confession of gaming was but a new shock to Cecilia, whoscrupled not to represent to him the uncertainty of so hazardous areliance, and the inevitable evils of so destructive a practice. 

She made not, however, the least impression upon his mind; heassured her he doubted not giving her shortly a good account ofhimself, and that living in the country was a resource ofdesperation which need not be anticipated. 

Cecilia, though grieved and provoked by their mutual folly andblindness, could proceed no further: advice and admonition shespared not, but authority she had none to use. She regretted herineffectual attempt to Mr Arnott, who was yet more cruelly afflictedat it; but though they conversed upon the subject by everyopportunity, they were equally unable to relate any success fromtheir efforts, or to devise any plan more likely to ensure it. 

CHAPTER viii

A MISTAKE. 

Mean time young Delvile failed not to honour Cecilia's introductionof him to Mr Harrel, by waiting upon that gentleman as soon as theill effects of his accident at the Pantheon permitted him to leavehis own house. Mr Harrel, though just going out when he called, wasdesirous of being upon good terms with his family, and thereforetook him up stairs to present him to his lady, and invited him totea and cards the next evening. 

Cecilia, who was with Mrs Harrel, did not see him without emotion;which was not much lessened by the task of thanking him for hisassistance at the Pantheon, and enquiring how he had himself fared. No sign, however, of emotion appeared in return, either when hefirst addressed, or afterwards answered her: the look of solicitudewith which she had been so much struck when they last parted was nolonger discernible, and the voice of sensibility which had removedall her doubts, was no longer to be heard. His general ease, andnatural gaiety were again unruffled, and though he had never seemedreally indifferent to her, there was not the least appearance of anyadded partiality. 

Cecilia felt an involuntary mortification as she observed thischange: yet, upon reflection, she still attributed his wholebehaviour to his mistake with respect to her situation, andtherefore was but the more gratified by the preference heoccasionally betrayed. 

The invitation for the next evening was accepted, and Cecilia, foronce, felt no repugnance to joining the company. Young Delvile againwas in excellent spirits; but though his chief pleasure wasevidently derived from conversing with her, she had the vexation toobserve that he seemed to think her the undoubted property of theBaronet, always retreating when he approached, and as careful, whennext her, to yield his place if he advanced, as, when he wasdistant, to guard it from all others. 

But when Sir Robert was employed at cards, all scruples ceasing, heneglected not to engross her almost wholly. He was eager to speak toher of the affairs of Mr Belfield, which he told her wore now abetter aspect. The letter, indeed, of recommendation which he hadshewn to her, had failed, as the nobleman to whom it was written hadalready entered into an engagement for his son; but he had madeapplication elsewhere which he believed would be successful, and hehad communicated his proceedings to Mr Belfield, whose spirits hehoped would recover by this prospect of employment and advantage. "It is, however, but too true, " he added, "that I have ratherobtained his consent to the steps I am taking, than his approbationof them: nor do I believe, had I previously consulted him, I shouldhave had even that. Disappointed in his higher views, his spirit isbroken, and he is heartless and hopeless, scarce condescending toaccept relief, from the bitter remembrance that he expectedpreferment. Time, however, will blunt this acute sensibility, andreflection will make him blush at this unreasonable delicacy. But wemust patiently soothe him till he is more himself, or while we meanto serve, we shall only torment him. Sickness, sorrow, and povertyhave all fallen heavily upon him, and they have all fallen at once:we must not, therefore, wonder to find him intractable, when hismind is as much depressed, as his body is enervated. "

Cecilia, to whom his candour and generosity always gave freshdelight, strengthened his opinions by her concurrence, and confirmedhis designs by the interest which she took in them. 

From this time, he found almost daily some occasion for calling inPortman-square. The application of Cecilia in favour of Mr Belfieldgave him a right to communicate to her all his proceedingsconcerning him; and he had some letter to shew, some new scheme topropose, some refusal to lament, or some hope to rejoice over, almost perpetually: or even when these failed, Cecilia had a cold, which he came to enquire after, or Mrs Harrel gave him aninvitation, which rendered any excuse unnecessary. But though hisintimacy with Cecilia was encreased, though his admiration of herwas conspicuous, and his fondness for her society seemed to growwith the enjoyment of it, he yet never manifested any doubt of herengagement with the Baronet, nor betrayed either intention or desireto supplant him. Cecilia, however, repined not much at the mistake, since she thought it might be instrumental to procuring her a moreimpartial acquaintance with his character, than she could rationallyexpect, if, as she hoped, the explanation of his error should makehim seek her good opinion with more study and design. 

To satisfy herself not only concerning the brother but the sister, she again visited Miss Belfield, and had the pleasure of finding herin better spirits, and hearing that the _noble friend_ of herbrother, whom she had already mentioned, and whom Cecilia had beforesuspected to be young Delvile, had now pointed out to him a methodof conduct by which his affairs might be decently retrieved, andhimself creditably employed. Miss Belfield spoke of the plan withthe highest satisfaction; yet she acknowledged that her mother wasextremely discontented with it, and that her brother himself wasrather led by shame than inclination to its adoption. Yet he wasevidently easier in his mind, though far from happy, and already somuch better, that Mr Rupil said he would very soon be able to leavehis room. 

Such was the quiet and contented situation of Cecilia, when oneevening, which was destined for company at home, while she was alonein the drawing-room, which Mrs Harrel had just left to answer anote, Sir Robert Floyer accidentally came up stairs before the othergentlemen. 

"Ha!" cried he, the moment he saw her, "at last have I the goodfortune to meet with you alone! this, indeed, is a favour I thoughtI was always to be denied. "

He was then approaching her; but Cecilia, who shrunk involuntarilyat the sight of him, was retreating hastily to quit the room, whensuddenly recollecting that no better opportunity might ever offerfor a final explanation with him, she irresolutely stopt; and SirRobert, immediately following, took her hand, and pressing it to hislips as she endeavoured to withdraw it, exclaimed, "You are a mostcharming creature!" when the door was opened, and young Delvile atthe same moment was announced and appeared. 

Cecilia, colouring violently, and extremely chagrined, hastilydisengaged herself from his hold. Delvile seemed uncertain whetherhe ought not to retire, which Sir Robert perceiving, bowed to himwith an air of mingled triumph and vexation, and said, "Sir yourmost obedient!"

The doubt, however, in which every one appeared of what was next tobe done, was immediately removed by the return of Mrs Harrel, andthe arrival at almost the same moment of more company. 

The rest of the evening was spent, on the part of Cecilia, mostpainfully: the explanation she had planned had ended in worse thannothing, for by suffering the Baronet to detain her, she had rathershewn a disposition to oblige, than any intention to discard him;and the situation in which she had been surprised by young Delvile, was the last to clear the suspicions she so little wished him toharbour: while, on his part, the accident seemed to occasion noother alteration than that of rendering him more than usuallyassiduous to give way to Sir Robert whenever he approached her. 

Nor was Sir Robert slack in taking advantage of this attention: hewas highly in spirits, talked to her with more than common freedom, and wore the whole evening an air of exulting satisfaction. 

Cecilia, provoked by this presumption, hurt by the behaviour ofyoung Delvile, and mortified by the whole affair, determined toleave this mistake no longer in the power of accident, but to applyimmediately to Mr Delvile senior, and desire him, as her guardian, to wait upon Sir Robert himself, and acquaint him that hisperseverance in pursuing her was both useless and offensive: and bythis method she hoped at once to disentangle herself for ever fromthe Baronet, and to discover more fully the sentiments of youngDelvile: for the provocation she had just endured, robbed her of allpatience for waiting the advice of Mr Monckton. 

CHAPTER ix

AN EXPLANATION. 

The following morning, therefore, Cecilia went early to St James's-square: and, after the usual ceremonies of messages and longwaiting, she was shewn into an apartment where she found Mr Delvileand his son. 

She rejoiced to see them together, and determined to make known tothem both the purport of her visit: and therefore, after someapologies and a little hesitation, she told Mr Delvile, thatencouraged by his offers of serving her, she had taken the libertyto call upon him with a view to entreat his assistance. 

Young Delvile, immediately arising, would have quitted the room; butCecilia, assuring him she rather desired what she had to say shouldbe known than kept secret, begged that he would not disturb himself. 

Delvile, pleased with this permission to hear her, and curious toknow what would follow, very readily returned to his seat. 

"I should by no means, " she continued, "have thought of proclaimingeven to the most intimate of my friends, the partiality which SirRobert Floyer has been pleased to shew me, had he left to me thechoice of publishing or concealing it: but, on the contrary, his ownbehaviour seems intended not merely to display it, but to insinuatethat it meets with my approbation. Mr Harrel, also, urged by toomuch warmth of friendship, has encouraged this belief; nor, indeed, do I know at present where the mistake stops, nor what it is reporthas not scrupled to affirm. But I think I ought no longer to neglectit, and therefore I have presumed to solicit your advice in whatmanner I may most effectually contradict it. "

The extreme surprise of young Delvile at this speech was not moreevident than pleasant to Cecilia, to whom it accounted for all thathad perplext her in his conduct, while it animated every expectationshe wished to encourage. "

"The behaviour of Mr Harrel, " answered Mr Delvile, "has by no meansbeen such as to lead me to forget that his father was the son of asteward of Mr Grant, who lived in the neighbourhood of my friend andrelation the Duke of Derwent: nor can I sufficiently congratulatemyself that I have always declined acting with him. The late Dean, indeed, never committed so strange an impropriety as that ofnominating Mr Harrel and Mr Briggs coadjutors with Mr Delvile. Theimpropriety, however, though extremely offensive to me, has neverobliterated from my mind the esteem I bore the Dean: nor can Ipossibly give a greater proof of it than the readiness I have alwaysshewn to offer my counsel and instruction to his niece. Mr Harrel, therefore, ought certainly to have desired Sir Robert Floyer toacquaint me with his proposals before he gave to him any answer. "

"Undoubtedly, Sir, " said Cecilia, willing to shorten this paradingharangue, "but as he neglected that intention, will you think me tooimpertinent should I entreat the favour of you to speak with SirRobert yourself, and explain to him the total inefficacy of hispursuit, since my determination against him is unalterable?"

Here the conference was interrupted by the entrance of a servant whosaid something to Mr Delvile, which occasioned his apologizing toCecilia for leaving her for a few moments, and ostentatiouslyassuring her that no business, however important, should prevent histhinking of her affairs, or detain him from returning to her as soonas possible. 

The astonishment of young Delvile at the strength of her lastexpression kept him silent some time after his father left the room;and then, with a countenance that still marked his amazement, hesaid "Is it possible, Miss Beverley, that I should twice have beenthus egregiously deceived? or rather, that the whole town, and eventhe most intimate of your friends, should so unaccountably havepersisted in a mistake. "

"For the town, " answered Cecilia, "I know not how it can have hadany concern in so small a matter; but for my intimate friends, Ihave too few to make it probable they should ever have been sostrangely misinformed. "

"Pardon me, " cried he, "it was from one who ought to know, that Ihad myself the intelligence. "

"I entreat you, then, " said Cecilia, "to acquaint me who it was?"

"Mr Harrel himself; who communicated it to a lady in my hearing, andat a public place. "

Cecilia cast up her eyes in wonder and indignation at a proof soincontrovertible of his falsehood, but made not any answer. 

"Even yet, " continued he, "I can scarcely feel undeceived; yourengagement seemed so positive, your connection so irretrievable, --so, --so _fixed_, I mean. --"

He hesitated, a little embarrassed; but then suddenly exclaimed, "Yet whence, if to _neither_ favourable, if indifferent aliketo Sir Robert and to Belfield, whence that animated apprehension fortheir safety at the Opera-house? whence that never to be forgotten_oh stop him! good God! will nobody stop him!_--Words ofanxiety so tender! and sounds that still vibrate in my ear!"

Cecilia, struck with amazement in her turn at the strength of hisown expressions, blushed, and for a few minutes hesitated how toanswer him: but then, to leave nothing that related to sodisagreeable a report in any doubt, she resolved to tell himingenuously the circumstances that had occasioned her alarm: andtherefore, though with some pain to her modesty, she confessed herfears that she had herself provoked the affront, though her onlyview had been to discountenance Sir Robert, without meaning to shewany distinction to Mr Belfield. 

Delvile, who seemed charmed with the candour of this explanation, said, when she had finished it, "You are then at liberty?---Ahmadam!--how many may rue so dangerous a discovery!"

"Could you think, " said Cecilia, endeavouring to speak with herusual ease, "that Sir Robert Floyer would be found so irresistible?"

"Oh no!" cried he, "far otherwise; a thousand times I have wonderedat his happiness; a thousand times, when I have looked at you, andlistened to you, I have thought it impossible!--yet my authorityseemed indisputable. And how was I to discredit what was not utteredas a conjecture, but asserted as a fact? asserted, too, by theguardian with whom you lived? and not hinted as a secret, butaffirmed as a point settled?"

"Yet surely, " said Cecilia, "you have heard me make use ofexpressions that could not but lead you to suppose there was somemistake, whatever might be the authority which had won your belief. "

"No, " answered he, "I never supposed any mistake, though sometimes Ithought you repented your engagement. I concluded, indeed, you hadbeen unwarily drawn in, and I have even, at times, been tempted toacknowledge my suspicions to you, state your independence, andexhort you--as a _friend_, exhort you--to use it with spirit, and, if you were shackled unwillingly, incautiously, or unworthily, to break the chains by which you were confined, and restore toyourself that freedom of choice upon the use of which all yourhappiness must ultimately depend. But I doubted if this werehonourable to the Baronet, --and what, indeed, was my right to such aliberty? none that every man might not be proud of, a wish to dohonour to myself, under the officious pretence of serving the mostamiable of women. "

"Mr Harrel, " said Cecilia, "has been so strangely bigoted to hisfriend, that in his eagerness to manifest his regard for him, heseems to have forgotten every other consideration; he would not, else, have spread so widely a report that could so ill standenquiry. "

"If Sir Robert, " returned he, "is himself deceived while he deceivesothers, who can forbear to pity him? for my own part, instead ofrepining that hitherto I have been mistaken, ought I not rather tobless an error that may have been my preservative from danger?"

Cecilia, distressed in what manner to support her part in theconversation, began now to wish the return of Mr Delvile; and, notknowing what else to say, she expressed her surprise at his longabsence. 

"It is not, indeed, well timed, " said young Delvile, "just now, --atthe moment when--" he stopt, and presently exclaiming "Oh dangerousinterval!" he arose from his seat in manifest disorder. 

Cecilia arose too, and hastily ringing the bell, said, "Mr Delvile Iam sure is detained, and therefore I will order my chair, and callanother time. "

"Do I frighten you away?" said he, assuming an appearance moreplacid. 

"No, " answered she, "but I would not hasten Mr Delvile. "

A servant then came, and said the chair was ready. 

She would immediately have followed him, but young Delvile againspeaking, she stopt a moment to hear him. "I fear, " said he, withmuch hesitation, "I have strangely exposed myself--and that youcannot--but the extreme astonishment--" he stopt again in the utmostconfusion, and then adding, "you will permit me to attend you to thechair, " he handed her down stairs, and in quitting her, bowedwithout saying a word more. 

Cecilia, who was almost wholly indifferent to every part of theexplanation but that which had actually passed, was now in a stateof felicity more delightful than any she had ever experienced. Shehad not a doubt remaining of her influence over the mind of youngDelvile, and the surprise which had made him rather betray thanexpress his regard, was infinitely more flattering and satisfactoryto her than any formal or direct declaration. She had now convincedhim she was disengaged, and in return, though without seeming tointend it, he had convinced her of the deep interest which he tookin the discovery. His perturbation, the words which escaped him, andhis evident struggle to say no more, were proofs just such as shewished to receive of his partial admiration, since while theysatisfied her heart, they also soothed her pride, by shewing adiffidence of success which assured her that her own secret wasstill sacred, and that no weakness or inadvertency on her part hadrobbed her of the power of mingling dignity with the frankness withwhich she meant to receive his addresses. All, therefore, that nowemployed her care, was to keep off any indissoluble engagement tilleach should be better known to the other. 

For this reserve, however, she had less immediate occasion than sheexpected; she saw no more of young Delvile that day; neither did heappear the next. The third she fully expected him, --but still hecame not. And while she wondered at an absence so uncommon, shereceived a note from Lord Ernolf, to beg permission to wait upon herfor two minutes, at any time she would appoint. 

She readily sent word that she should be at home for the rest of theday, as she wished much for an opportunity of immediately finishingevery affair but one, and setting her mind at liberty to think onlyof that which she desired should prosper. 

Lord Ernolf was with her in half an hour. She found him sensible andwell bred, extremely desirous to promote her alliance with his son, and apparently as much pleased with herself as with her fortune. Heacquainted her that he had addressed himself to Mr Harrel longsince, but had been informed that she was actually engaged to SirRobert Floyer: he should, therefore, have forborn taking up any partof her time, had he not, on the preceding day, while on a visit atMr Delvile's, been assured that Mr Harrel was mistaken, and that shehad not yet declared for any body. He hoped, therefore, that shewould allow his son the honour of waiting upon her, and permit himto talk with Mr Briggs, who he understood was her acting guardian, upon such matters as ought to be speedily adjusted. 

Cecilia thanked him for the honour he intended her, and confirmedthe truth of the account he had heard in St James'-square, but atthe same time told him she must decline receiving any visits fromhis lordship's son, and entreated him to take no measure towards thepromotion of an affair which never could succeed. 

He seemed much concerned at her answer, and endeavoured for sometime to soften her, but found her so steady, though civil in herrefusal, that he was obliged, however unwillingly, to give up hisattempt. 

Cecilia, when he was gone, reflected with much vexation on thereadiness of the Delviles to encourage his visit; she considered, however, that the intelligence he had heard might possibly begathered in general conversation; but she blamed herself that shehad not led to some enquiry what part of the family he had seen, andwho was present when the information was given him. 

Mean while she found that neither coldness, distance, nor aversionwere sufficient to repress Sir Robert Floyer, who continued topersecute her with as much confidence of success as could havearisen from the utmost encouragement. She again, though with muchdifficulty, contrived to speak with Mr Harrel upon the subject, andopenly accused him of spreading a report abroad, as well ascountenancing an expectation at home, that had neither truth norjustice to support them. 

Mr Harrel, with his usual levity and carelessness, laughed at thecharge, but denied any belief in her displeasure, and affected tothink she was merely playing the coquet, while Sir Robert was notthe less her decided choice. 

Provoked and wearied, Cecilia resolved no longer to depend upon anybody but herself for the management of her own affairs, andtherefore, to conclude the business without any possibility offurther cavilling, she wrote the following note to Sir Robertherself. 

_To Sir Robert Floyer, Bart. _

Miss BEVERLEY presents her compliments to Sir Robert Floyer, and asshe has some reason to fear Mr Harrel did not explicitly acquainthim with her answer to the commission with which he was entrusted, she thinks it necessary, in order to obviate any possiblemisunderstanding, to take this method of returning him thanks forthe honour of his good opinion, but of begging at the same time thathe would not lose a moment upon her account, as her thanks are allshe can now, or ever, offer in return. 

_Portman-square, _ _May_ 11th, 1779. 

To this note Cecilia received no answer: but she had the pleasure toobserve that Sir Robert forbore his usual visit on the day she sentit, and, though he appeared again the day following, he never spoketo her and seemed sullen and out of humour. 

Yet still young Delvile came not, and still, as her surpriseencreased, her tranquillity was diminished. She could form no excusefor his delay, nor conjecture any reason for his absence. Everymotive seemed to favour his seeking, and not one his shunning her:the explanation which had so lately passed had informed him he hadno rival to fear, and the manner in which he had heard it assuredher the information was not indifferent to him; why, then, soassiduous in his visits when he thought her engaged, and so slack inall attendance when he knew she was at liberty?